No Indoor Dining At Baltimore Restaurants; Mayor Wants More Data

BALTIMORE, MD — Although the governor lifted restrictions on indoor dining Friday at 5 p.m, Baltimore City restaurants remain closed inside. They may serve diners outdoors or for carryout and delivery.

"Let me be very, very clear. Restaurants are not allowed to open for indoor dining," Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young said at a news conference late Friday afternoon. The prohibition on table service will be enforced by the Baltimore Police Department and social club task force, he added.

"If we find that you have opened for indoor dining, you will be shut down," Young said. "I will not put the residents of this city at unnecessary risk, nor will I open up restaurants for indoor dining if I don't feel it's safe for me or my family to be in one."

Gov. Larry Hogan said he would not be eating inside either. Speaking at a news conference earlier this week, the governor noted he was a cancer survivor over 60. However, Hogan said it was "absurd" restaurants were not allowed to reopen in Baltimore and lifted liquor license fee restrictions Thursday in an effort to nudge Baltimore toward further reopening.

In Baltimore, city officials and health experts say they want to review the data from Memorial Day weekend and protests before deciding whether to move to phase two. They will make a ruling on Wednesday, June 17, the mayor said.

"Most of the cities that have reopened have seen a spike" in infections, Young said. "I don't want that to be on my hands ... We're going to be driven by our data."

Baltimore City is making these modifications, effective at 5 p.m. Friday:

• Nonessential retailers can reopen at 50 percent capacity.

Baltimore entered stage one of reopening Monday but limited retailers to curbside interactions.

Opening stores is "low risk" but not without risk, Young said. Officials still recommend social distancing, wearing face coverings, staying home if ill and hand washing.

• At 6 a.m. Harbor Connect will resume, with limited routes and capacity. Riders must wear face coverings.

Before reopening further, the health commissioner and mayor said they needed more data and time.

"We'd like to see more days of data" following Memorial Day and the protests that have occurred since, Baltimore Health Commissioner Letitia Dzirasa said Friday. "We also have some ZIP codes and populations that are extremely vulnerable in the city."

Her concerns centered around lack of testing, hospital capacity and vulnerable ZIP codes.

The Baltimore City Heath Department has a coronavirus dashboard that outlines the metrics needed to reopen, Dzirasa said:

• Sustained decrease in average rate of COVID cases per day. There was a 12 percent increase week-to-week, officials said, with an average of 125 new cases each day in Baltimore.
• Decrease in COVID fatalities per day; these have "leveled off" but are not declining, Dzirasa said.
• Increase in daily test capacity; this is not adequate yet. "We do not yet have testing capacity," Dzirasa said, that would allow for anyone to get tested. Long lines in Highlandtown were "testament to that." While the city was working to offer appointment-free, community-based coronavirus testing, Dzirasa said: "It takes time, staff and resources" to do this safely.
• Decrease in coronavirus positivity rates. These are improving but are "not consistent throughout every single ZIP code," Dzirasa said. Some are "well above" the average.
• Decrease or holding steady in acute care hospitalizations. These are "holding relatively steady," Dzirasa said, but the data could take a turn and potentially strain hospitals if there is fallout from protests and gatherings. "There is a potential for recent protests to cause a spike in cases in the next week or two."

Baltimore has 11 acute care hospitals — "more than any jurisdiction in the state," Dzirasa said. These facilities are often caring for people from other jurisdictions, "limiting their capacity for surge."

As of Friday afternoon, the mayor said 238 people were hospitalized with the virus in Baltimore.

"Coronavirus has not gone anywhere," Dzirasa said. She urged people to focus not on the relaxing of restrictions but on the need to increase their own vigilance.

Just as the mayor said he would not be enjoying a meal inside a restaurant because it was not safe yet, the health commissioner said she was not able to go to the gym, one part of her routine.

"I, too, miss that sense of normalcy we had before COVID-19," Dzirasa said. "But by listening to the mayor's orders, you have helped keep many of our residents safe and alive, and for that I can't thank you enough."

Said Dzirasa: "Your sacrifices have contributed to the public health of all Baltimore City residents. You are truly heroes."

Watch the news conference about Baltimore's reopening status as of Friday, June 12:

Related:

• Coronavirus Hospitalizations Down 119 In Two Days: MD Health Data
• Baltimore Enters Stage 1 Of Reopening In Coronavirus Recovery