Prince George’s County, Maryland, will extend several measures taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 as case numbers continue to trend upward in the county in the wake of the winter holiday season.
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced on Thursday the extended restrictions, including the ban on indoor dining.
The indoor dining ban includes dining at banquets, receptions, conference centers and hotel meeting rooms. Outdoor dining will stay limited to 50% capacity. Casinos and retail establishments remain limited to 25% capacity.
Those measures will stay in place until at least Friday, Jan. 29.
The measures were put in place in last month ahead of expected holiday travel as the county’s case counts trended upward.
“Much to our dismay, COVID-19 cases continue to rise and our metrics show that we need to extend measures previously implemented to minimize the spread of this virus,” Alsobrooks said in a statement. “While this is a difficult decision, we are continuing to do everything we can to support our restaurants during these difficult times, including allocating additional funding to our Restaurant Resiliency Fund.”
She added that all county residents should continue to follow health safety guidance by wearing a face mask, physically distancing, limiting travel and avoiding gatherings.
Prince George’s County recorded a record high 762 cases in a single day on Jan. 4, and is up to 57 new cases a day per 100,000 residents as of Jan. 9. The county has also had over 200 inpatients with COVID-19 in hospitals for over three weeks.
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