Outdoor Dining Extended Until Fall; Anne Arundel Emergency Ends

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel will let expanded outdoor dining continue through Nov. 1. The county also ended its state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic. Both actions took effect last Wednesday when County Executive Steuart Pittman signed bill 55-21 to extend outdoor dining and inked executive order 49 to end the emergency.

"While the emergency order has ended, COVID has not," Pittman said in a press release. "We are seeing the work of the vaccines in our low case and hospitalization rates."

Pittman's state of emergency allowed restaurants to serve more people outside than normal. That helped establishments space tables and accommodate more customers who weren't yet ready to eat indoors.

With infections dwindling and mass vaccination sites preparing to close, the outdoor dining portion became one of the only remaining uses of the emergency order.

The passage of the outdoor dining bill convinced Pittman that the state of emergency was no longer needed. Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday that Maryland's state of emergency will end July 1.

"The numbers give us hope that the pandemic is truly coming to an end," Pittman concluded. "But we must finish this fight strong, and we must see a summer surge in vaccinations to prevent a fall surge in cases to end this pandemic."

Coronavirus Vaccine Resources

Anybody 12 or older can now get the coronavirus vaccine at providers across the state. Check out our how-to guide to learn how to sign up for the shot.

Catch up on the infection and inoculation metrics in Anne Arundel County with our most recent numbers update. Head to Patch's immunization page to keep up with Maryland's latest vaccine news.

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. Download our mobile application from the App Store or Google Play.

RELATED:

• No ICU Hospitalizations Reported In Anne Arundel For First Time
• How To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Anne Arundel County
• Anne Arundel Businesses Owned By Women, Minorities Can Get Help
• Hospitality Industry Hopes To Bounce Back With Online Hiring Fair
• Kids Perform 'Frozen Jr.' Musical After Year Of Delays: Report

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.