Maryland Will Lift Capacity Limits At Restaurants, Allow Venues To Operate At 50% Capacity

Maryland is on the path to reopening. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that he will lift capacity limits at restaurants, opening up indoor and outdoor venues to 50% capacity.

“The time is right,” Hogan said. “Our health metrics are great and it’s time to get our economy going.”

Governor Hogan’s new executive order is causing some confusion for many of the state’s leaders.

“As usual, the county executives are texting each other saying, ‘Anybody know what the governor is going to say today?’ And nobody ever does,” Steuart Pittman, Anne Arundel County Executive, said.

“State law does grant local jurisdictions some powers to take actions that are more restrictive than the state is. But my advice would be that they should follow the state guidance and get in line,” Governor Hogan said. “It’s been very confusing with a patchwork of different people changing rules or not being in alignment with one another.”

County leaders are working with lawyers to interpret the new order, which will go into effect on Friday.

“We are currently reviewing the revised executive order to understand its full implications,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “We will continue to evaluate our metrics and we remain committed to making data-informed and people-driven decisions to keep Howard County residents safe.”

The mask mandate will remain intact. According to the state health department, 10% of Maryland residents are fully vaccinated.

“I’m glad he kept in place the mask mandate,” Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University. “There is going to be risk in reopening so quickly, especially when the vast majority of Marylanders are still unvaccinated.”

“The health consequences of prolonged isolation have been well documented now, especially the impact on mental health,” Dr. Robert Redfield, Hogan’s advisor and former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said. “It’s been shown that when things are done with vigilance, as the governor discussed, in partnership with the public and private sector, we can safely reopen.”