Politics & Government

MD Reopening Restaurants For Outdoor Dining, Stage 2 Nears: Hogan

The state will permit more activities — like youth day camps, outdoor dining and outdoor pools — with precautions, Gov. Larry Hogan said.

Boaters pulled away from the city dock in Annapolis May 7 after Gov. Larry Hogan relaxed the ban on outdoor activities. Now outdoor dining will be allowed starting at 5 p.m. Friday.
Boaters pulled away from the city dock in Annapolis May 7 after Gov. Larry Hogan relaxed the ban on outdoor activities. Now outdoor dining will be allowed starting at 5 p.m. Friday. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

MARYLAND — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced what he called the completion of stage one of the state's reopening Friday. Several changes will take effect based on "encouraging trends," he said, such as declining hospitalizations and positivity rates among those tested for the coronavirus.

Two weeks after lifting his stay-at-home order, Hogan said: “Now, after another 14 days of continued encouraging trends, Maryland is ready to take the additional steps to complete stage one of our gradual safe and effective recovery plan."

The following will take effect at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 29, the governor said:

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  • Restaurants and social organizations like American Legions will be able to reopen for outdoor dining, in accordance with public health requirements outlined by the National Restaurant Association, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For example, Hogan said, restaurants must have no more than six people at a table; they should use single-use disposable menus or sanitize menus between each use; they should sanitize tables and chairs between customers; and they should conduct temperature checks of all staff. Employees must wear masks when interacting with one another and customers. Hogan said he was encouraging local leaders to support businesses by closing streets and expanding into parking lots to provide more space for social distancing.
  • Many outdoor activities will be able to safely resume, including youth sports. Groups must be no more than 10 people and health screenings will be required.
  • Youth day camps may resume with capacity limitations of no more than 10 in a group, with daily COVID symptom checks for campers and staff. No out-of-state attendees or visitors will be allowed.
  • Outdoor pools may reopen with strict safety guidelines including 25 percent capacity restrictions.

"We're not fully opening," he said. Indoor parts of restaurants were not reopening, for example. "Let's let small groups of kids go out and play," he said of the overall concept around camps, not enabling youth day camps to go full-throttle back to the way they were.

Of Prince George's and Montgomery counties, which have had the highest number of coronavirus cases in the state, he said: "I think they ought to move forward," because data showed declining hospitalizations and death rates.

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If all things go well and the data shows the virus is staying contained, next week the state may be ready to move into stage two of its recovery plan, Hogan said. That would mean allowing other nonessential businesses to begin reopening.


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“While we are moving to safely reopen our economy and put more people back to work," Hogan said it was critical that people continue following guidance such as social distancing to protect public health.

"The fight against this virus is by no means over," Hogan said. "We must all continue to remain vigilant."

He encouraged people to continue to wear masks in businesses and stay 6 feet apart from one another.

"You should continue to avoid crowds of people," Hogan said. "Outdoor activities remain safer than indoor activities."

Until there is a vaccine, Hogan said, the number of cases would continue to rise.

"Lower risk does not mean no risk. And safer does not mean completely safe," Hogan said. "Just because you can do something does not mean that you should, particularly if you are a person in a vulnerable category or if you are around someone who is. If you can stay home, you should continue to stay home as much as you can."

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