HOWARD COUNTY — Capacity restrictions on recreational sports and programs, wedding receptions, and social and fraternal organizations will be relaxed in Howard County.
It will go into effect on Friday, February 19 at 5:00 p.m. The decision to relax restrictions on events follows significant decreases in Howard County’s positivity rate and case rate per 100,000 residents, currently at 3.8% and 13.2 cases, respectively.
This week Howard County’s 7-day average positivity rate fell below 4% for the first time since Nov. 8.
The new Executive Order allows:
· Wedding receptions and social and fraternal organizations to host up to 50 percent capacity;
· Indoor recreational sports and programs to host 50 percent capacity or 100 people, whichever is less;
· Outdoor recreational sports and programs to host 50 percent capacity or 250 people, whichever is less.
These types of gatherings had been limited to a 10-person maximum indoors and 25-person maximum outdoors since late November to account for increasing COVID case and positivity rates in Howard County.
The gathering limit is still in effect for the following:
· Family gatherings
· Parties
· Cookouts
· Parades
· Festivals
· Conventions
· Fundraisers
· Other gatherings not associated with operating or patronizing a business that sells merchandise
