Frederick County in Maryland has joined other jurisdictions in the D.C. area in introducing new coronavirus restrictions in an effort to slow the spread of the disease.
The executive order will take effect Friday at 5 p.m. It limits indoor gatherings of all kinds to no more than 15 people.
“We know the virus spreads when people are around others for an extended time,” County Executive Jan Gardner said in a news release Thursday. “By keeping gatherings small, we can slow the spread and prevent overwhelming our health care system.”
Frederick County reported that 8,226 have residents tested positive for the coronavirus, with 152 new cases in the last 24 hours, and hospitalizations for the virus are at record highs.
Statewide, Gov. Larry Hogan said that although he and his team are monitoring the latest coronavirus metrics, they are not implementing new statewide restrictions yet.
However, Prince George’s, Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties announced plans for new restrictions that include barring indoor dining.
And in Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam introduced a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m., among other new measures. The curfew starts at 12:01 a.m. Monday
Other restrictions taking effect Friday at 5 p.m. in Frederick County include capacity limits for large indoor recreation establishments:
- Bingo halls, bowling alleys, pool halls, roller and ice skating rinks, social and fraternal clubs, and the indoor areas of any other establishments subject to the admission and amusement tax are limited to 50% capacity.
- If 50% capacity would allow more than 50 people, then the establishment’s capacity is lowered to 25%.
- The 25% cap also applies in areas where food and beverages are served within recreational establishments.
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Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C.
