Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot has reinstated a mask mandate for employees and visitors at several Maryland state agency buildings.
The mandate, which takes effect Thursday, applies to the Louis L. Goldstein Treasury Building, the Revenue Administration Building, the Annapolis Data Center, the Comptroller’s Baltimore Office, regional branch offices, satellite offices and the Motor Fuel Laboratory.
The mask rules apply in indoor public areas and gathering spaces, including hallways, restrooms and shared office spaces. Masks are optional in private office spaces occupied by a single vaccinated person.
“With the continued threat of COVID-19, the safety of our employees and the public is paramount,” Comptroller Peter Franchot said in a statement Thursday. “This simple preventative measure can help stop others from getting sick so that we can finally overcome this terrible pandemic that has claimed hundreds of thousands of American lives.”
This follows Franchot’s decision, on Monday, to return 12 agency offices to offering appointment-only visits in order to keep the public and employees safe.
The new mask rules come as the delta surge of coronavirus cases in Maryland appears to have slowed. Statewide figures show coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and even deaths appear to have plateaued, for now, although they remain at higher levels than earlier in the summer.
Maryland also has one of the highest vaccination rates in the county, with more than 71% of total residents having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Some local jurisdictions reinstituted indoor mask mandates in public settings earlier this summer as coronavirus cases first began rising due to the delta variant, including Montgomery and Prince George’s County.
Earlier this week, Prince George’s County officials expanded the indoor mask mandate to children ages 2 to 5 pointing to a rise in cases involving young children.
- Coronavirus vaccine FAQ: What you need to know
- What to do, and not do, before and after your COVID vaccine shot
- How do we know the COVID-19 vaccines are safe?
- Sign up for news alerts from WTOP
Looking for more information? D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | District of Columbia
