With Dramatically Improved COVID-19 Metrics, Governor Hogan Lifts Capacity Limits on Restaurants, Retail, and Religious Services
With Maryland’s COVID-19 metrics dramatically improved, Governor Hogan has announced several steps to safely reopen Maryland, lifting capacity limits on restaurants, retail businesses, religious facilities, fitness centers, personal services, and indoor recreational establishments. The statewide masking mandate, physical distancing requirements, and other safety protocols will remain in place for restaurants and other businesses.
Over the past few weeks, as Maryland providers have administered over 1.5 million doses of the vaccine, Maryland’s COVID-19 positivity rate has declined by more than 64% to 3.4%, while hospitalizations have dropped 59%. Even with this development, Governor Hogan is urging Marylanders to “continue to be smart,” arguing “we can’t afford to undo all the tremendous progress that we have made together.”
Former CDC Director Robert Redfield joined Governor Hogan for the announcement, praising the Governor’s actions as “sensible steps” that safely reopen the state in a “smart, purposeful way.”