Outdoor Dining To Open Up Friday In Anne Arundel County

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Restaurants and bars across Anne Arundel County can open for outdoor seating service beginning Friday at 5 p.m. Non-essential businesses currently operating under curbside pickup only are able to open to customers. The maximum number of occupants including both customers and employees will be calculated based upon 150 square feet per person.

All businesses will be required to have protective measures in place regarding physical distancing and face coverings will be required for everyone in the store. Restaurants, bars and social clubs with dining facilities can serve food and beverages in outdoor seating areas in accordance with state guidance. The county office of planning and zoning will authorize outdoor seating for food and beverage service uses as a temporary use for up to 180 days, until or unless the emergency is lifted or revised by executive order. A permit application is not required for this temporary use if it complies with specific criteria.

Barbers and beauty salons may open for hair services only. The maximum number of occupants will be calculated based on 100 gross square feet per person due to the smaller space of many facilities and the necessity of closer personal interaction in order for services to be provided.

“I am able to make these announcements today because our public health recovery metrics have improved and our staff has delivered the regulatory changes needed to move forward more quickly than expected,” said Anne Arundel County Executive Pittman. “We are able to move from the blunt tools of shutdown to the sharper tools of testing, contact tracing and innovative safety measures that our businesses have developed.”

Also set to open are dog parks, dog beaches, county park beaches and pavilions by reservation only. Private youth camps are allowed to open under state guidance. Swimming at county or community beaches is no longer prohibited, but swimmers are advised that no routine bacteria testing has been conducted. Swimmers swim at their own risk until water quality monitoring can resume. Starting June 1, basketball courts also will reopen. Athletic fields, tennis and pickle ball courts along with basketball courts are open effective Friday.

Beginning June 5, seasonal outdoor pools will be inspected on a rolling basis. Pools can open once they are approved. Seasonal outdoor pools are inspected each spring prior to their opening and this year, those inspections were postponed due to the suspension of all non-essential activity.

Starting July 6, modified county outdoor day camps can begin, but camps will be limited to 10 people -- eight children and two staff. Registration will begin June 11. Traditional camps are cancelled and specialty camps are delayed until July or August.

No additional actions are being announced with regard to houses of worship and religious institutions at this time, Pittman noted. They remain opened for up to 10 people at a time for individual ministry.

The following remain closed until further notice:

• Senior centers
• Fitness centers
• Movie theaters (including “pop-up” drive-in theaters)
• Shopping malls
• Nail salons
• Playgrounds
• County park visitors centers
• County park restrooms
• Indoor aquatic centers
• Recreation centers

Specific details and guidance are available on the county’s Road to Recovery web page.