County Relaxes COVID-19 Restrictions Under New Three-Phase Plan

ROCKVILLE, MD — Montgomery County will relax coronavirus-related restrictions in phases under a new plan that received unanimous support from the County Council on Tuesday.

The plan is broken up into three phases and is based on the percentage of residents who are inoculated. As of Tuesday, 537,650 people in Montgomery County (or 51.2 percent) have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The three phases of reopening would go into effect once the Board of Health receives a vaccination progress report from the county's health officer, Dr. Travis Gayles. The first phase, which increased gathering limits at the 50-percent vaccination mark, went into effect at 5 p.m.

The phases are as follows:

PHASE ONE

When 50 percent of the population receives at least one dose:

• gathering limits increase to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors
• businesses limited to 25 percent capacity (including theatres) move to 50 percent capacity and may sell food and drink for consumption while seated
• camps can move to the gathering limits of 50 indoors and 100 outdoors
• escape rooms can allow 10 people per game
• museums and galleries may reopen touch exhibits
• malls may reopen pedestrian concourses and return tables and chairs inside
• sports move to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors with a similar number of spectators

PHASE TWO

Once 60 percent of the population receives at least one dose:

• gathering limits increase to 250 people indoors, no limit outdoors
• most businesses move to 75 percent capacity
• camps can increase to gathering limits of 250 people indoors with no capacity limit outdoors and may permit campers from outside of Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia
• convention and banquet facilities are limited to 50 percent of the facility's maximum capacity per state restrictions
• cigar and hookah bars may permit smoking outdoors
• food service establishments may move to 75 percent of maximum capacity
• religious facilities may move to 75 percent of maximum capacity
• sports may increase capacity for participants and spectators to 250 people indoors and no limit outdoors and may engage in play with teams from outside Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia

PHASE THREE

Once 50 percent is fully vaccinated:

• all conduct and business in Montgomery County must follow any State of Maryland Department of Health requirements in place at the time

The county considers someone fully vaccinated two weeks after they received their final COVID-19 shot.

If Gayles finds that after reviewing community transmission metrics that continued reopening phases would be contrary to public health, he must report those concerns to the County Council, and the continuation to the next phase will be suspended pending a hearing before lawmakers.

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