As coronavirus health metrics continue to improve, Baltimore City is getting ready to ease some restrictions Monday morning.|| Coronavirus updates | Maryland’s latest numbers | Get tested | Vaccine Info ||Under the restrictions, diners at restaurants could only stay for an hour. With that restriction gone, the new rules allow any restaurant to increase its indoor capacity to 25% and outdoor dining to 50%.The announcement came Wednesday from Mayor Brandon Scott, who felt optimistic on current COVID-19 health trends in the city — along with the help of vaccines.Still, he remains cautious.”We do not want folks to take this as an opportunity to be reckless,” Scott said Saturday. “We still have restrictions, as you know. This is not an opportunity for people to be reckless. We have the lowest positivity rate in the state because of how we have been going about our business and how we have been responsible. We want folks to continue to do that because we know COVID-19 is still killing people in our neighborhoods.”Maryland online vaccination site locatorVaccine Data DashboardMaryland vaccination plan FAQsThere are some other rules as well. The mayor said says restaurants will still be required to have a sign-in and sign-out sheet for contact tracing. Also, gym classes cannot exceed 25% or 10 people, whichever is higher; live performances require performers to wear a mask; and organized sporting events must follow guidance from Recreation and Parks.The mayor says he’ll continue to monitor data and see how this incremental step will affect positivity rates before removing even more restrictions.Watch the full news conference below
BALTIMORE —
As coronavirus health metrics continue to improve, Baltimore City is getting ready to ease some restrictions Monday morning.
|| Coronavirus updates | Maryland’s latest numbers | Get tested | Vaccine Info ||
Under the restrictions, diners at restaurants could only stay for an hour. With that restriction gone, the new rules allow any restaurant to increase its indoor capacity to 25% and outdoor dining to 50%.
The announcement came Wednesday from Mayor Brandon Scott, who felt optimistic on current COVID-19 health trends in the city — along with the help of vaccines.
Still, he remains cautious.
“We do not want folks to take this as an opportunity to be reckless,” Scott said Saturday. “We still have restrictions, as you know. This is not an opportunity for people to be reckless. We have the lowest positivity rate in the state because of how we have been going about our business and how we have been responsible. We want folks to continue to do that because we know COVID-19 is still killing people in our neighborhoods.”
There are some other rules as well. The mayor said says restaurants will still be required to have a sign-in and sign-out sheet for contact tracing. Also, gym classes cannot exceed 25% or 10 people, whichever is higher; live performances require performers to wear a mask; and organized sporting events must follow guidance from Recreation and Parks.
The mayor says he’ll continue to monitor data and see how this incremental step will affect positivity rates before removing even more restrictions.
Watch the full news conference below
