Taking action to attempt to curb a sudden increase in COVID cases, County Executive Steuart Pittman announced several new restrictions today at the county’s Emergency Operation Center with County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, and top county public safety officials.
Anne Arundel County will impose new social gathering limits of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors starting on Friday, and suspend youth athletics beginning on Monday. Maximum capacity for indoor dining operations in bars and restaurants will also be reduced from 50 percent to 25 percent beginning on Friday, November 20.
“Waiting is not an option,” said County Executive Pittman.”Like our neighboring jurisdictions, we are acting now to slow the spread that will inevitably lead to a hospitalization surge at a time when our hospitals are operating near capacity. This is a more dangerous moment than we faced in the spring, so there is no question that we must take action.”
At a November 10 media event, Governor Larry Hogan emphasized the alarming trend of Maryland’s increasing COVID case rate and positivity rate, and reinforced local jurisdictions’ authority to take action. With state and county health metrics spiking, County Executive Pittman and Dr. Kalyanaraman acted today, rather than await additional measures from the state.
“We’re hitting a new case rate high each day,” said Dr. Kalyanaraman. “We know what we need to do to control this surge. In addition to today’s actions, each of us must commit to wearing a mask, watching our distance, washing our hands and limiting activity. It will take sacrifice, but we crushed the curve once and we can do it again.”
Effective Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m.
Maximum number of people permitted at a social gathering are 10 indoors and 25 outdoors. (A social gathering is any informal gathering of people that is not explicitly covered in other current executive orders.)
Effective Monday, November 16 at 8:00 a.m.
Youth athletics are suspended for all county fields and facilities.
Effective Friday, November 20 at 5:00 p.m.
Maximum capacity for indoor dining operations in restaurants, bars and any foodservice establishment will be reduced from 50 percent to 25 percent.
Both the City of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County are reviewing their enforcement protocols and assessing options for enhancements. County Executive Pittman will also continue to monitor the COVID-19 metrics and consult with Dr. Kalyanaraman to determine when and if additional interventions are needed to protect the health and safety of county residents.
The County Executive will sign an executive order implementing the new restrictions later today. The executive order and an updated version of the county’s Frequently Asked Questions document will be available here.
