BALTIMORE — Governor Hogan announced on Friday that starting Saturday, May 15, the indoor mask mandate will be lifted in Maryland.
RELATED: Effective Saturday: Indoor mask mandate will be lifted in Maryland
Here's where each county stands:
Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman issued the following statement regarding the lifting of the State’s mask order:
“Anne Arundel County will follow the State’s decision regarding the lifting of the mask order,” Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said. “If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, go get your shot. We need a summer surge in vaccinations to prevent a fall surge in cases.”
Baltimore County will align with the state to lift the order requiring face coverings in indoor establishments. County Executive Johnny Olszewski issued the following statement:
“The CDC’s assurances that people who are vaccinated can safely resume nearly all activities is incredibly heartening. Collectively, we’ve all worked hard to get to this point, and I’m pleased to see the significant progress we’ve made in recent weeks.
However, those who have not yet been vaccinated are still at risk from COVID-19. Vaccines are readily available to everyone who is eligible, and we encourage everyone to get one as soon as they can. It’s also important to remember that children under 12 are not yet able to receive a vaccine, leaving our youngest residents unprotected. We hope everyone will take appropriate precautions to keep them safe.”
Today, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball announced the County would follow the Governor’s recommendation and lift its mask mandate on Saturday, with the exception of public transit, in schools, day-cares, and medical facilities.
The Carroll County Board of Commissioners will continue to endorse Maryland COVID-19 guidance and support Governor Hogan’s new directive ending the statewide mask mandate, aligning Maryland with new CDC guidance.
Baltimore City
Update: Baltimore will continue indoor and outdoor mask mandates until 65 percent of city residents ages 18 and older have received at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Baltimore Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa announced at a news conference on Monday, May 17.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore City Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa released the following joint statement after Hogan's announcement:
"Effective tomorrow, May 15th, Baltimore City will relax capacity restrictions, in alignment with the new State of Maryland order. Additionally, until the City reaches a higher level of vaccination, indoor masking and masking at outdoor venues will be required. As such, effective immediately, the Health Commissioner is issuing an updated Directive and Health Ordere versus COVID and we will win this, together." requiring face masking in Baltimore City.
This evening, Baltimore City passed a significant milestone, with 39.9 percent of City residents 16 and older being fully vaccinated. Based on available data, Baltimore City's fully vaccinated rate outpaces other mid-Atlantic cities such as Philadelphia (34.5 percent for residents 16 and older) and Washington, DC (23.9 percent of all residents) and we continue to encourage all Baltimore City residents, age 12 and up, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
The CDC’s recent guidance allowing fully vaccinated individuals to remove their masks indoors and outdoors is a triumph of science. This shift in guidance is indicative of the ability the approved vaccines have to reduce the chances of significant illness from COVID, and also increasingly, to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. We see this updated guidance as a clear sign that all eligible residents should get vaccinated as quickly as possible, in order to return our city and our country to pre-pandemic levels of normalcy.
Masking works. It has been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Public health experts agree that disease transmission is much more likely in indoor spaces, especially when masks aren not worn. Baltimore City’s response to COVID-19 will continue to be guided by the science and focused on public health.
Baltimore City Health Department staff and clinical partners continue to bring vaccines directly to communities who need them at mobile and pop-up clinics. Alongside the Baltimore City Fire Department, the City has launched a door-to-door vaccination campaign, serving our homebound residents. We also continue to support peer-to-peer conversations about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines via Health Department-trained VALUE Vaccine Ambassadors. These local community members encourage residents to ask questions, and provide answers, about vaccine safety.
Now more than ever we can win the fight against COVID. Baltimore, we're counting on you to get vaccinated now so we can return to pre-pandemic normalcy. It's Baltimore versus COVID and we will win this, together."
The Calvert County Board of County Commissioners announces that Calvert County will follow Gov. Larry Hogan’s action to ease COVID-19 mitigation measures, including the lifting of capacity restrictions and the indoor mask mandate. Masks are still required for public transportation, healthcare settings and schools.
Effective Saturday, May 15, 2021:
· Indoor and outdoor venues may resume normal operations. All remaining capacity restrictions will be lifted on all indoor entertainment venues and conventions and all outdoor entertainment, art and sports venues, including all ticketed events.
· Restaurants and bars may resume normal operations, as all remaining capacity and distancing restrictions, and all other limits will be lifted on indoor and outdoor dining.
