Harford County Executive To Follow Governor's Lead In Reopening

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — After Gov. Larry Hogan announced his plan to lift the stay-at-home order at 5 p.m. Friday in Maryland, he followed by saying local leaders had the capacity to determine whether that was appropriate for their jurisdictions. County Executive Barry Glassman plans for Harford County to fall into alignment with the governor's orders.

"I am pleased to announce that in consultation with our health officer, Harford County will reopen on Friday at 5 p.m. as outlined in Gov. Hogan’s Safer at Home advisory," Glassman said in a statement Thursday. "At the same time, all citizens should continue to follow required social distancing and safety precautions to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our community. We have sacrificed to get to this point, and we must keep working together to maintain our progress. Be smart, stay safe and God bless."

The governor said he would be lifting the stay-at-home order and enacting "Safer-at-Home" guidance, which recommends people stay home but allows businesses, factories and religious facilities to reopen, with some measures built in to protect public health.

For example, churches may open but can only do so at 50 percent capacity and are encouraged to hold services outside. Businesses are asked to put down markings to promote social distancing and post signage advising customers not to enter if they are sick.

The recovery plan offers a "flexible, community-based approach," Hogan said, that empowers local leaders to control the timing of the reopening in their individual jurisdictions.

Under the governor's direction, the following would take effect at 5 p.m. Friday:

• Retail establishments that sell goods may only open at a maximum of 50 percent occupancy.
• Factories may open across Maryland. They should take measures to spread out shifts and people.
• Beauty salons may open, but only to provide hair services.
• Churches may open but can only do so at 50 percent capacity and are encouraged to hold services outside.

The new guidance says that local jurisdictions must consult with their health officers to determine whether it is appropriate to open outdoor public spaces, and it allows each jurisdiction to decide if it is safe for certain businesses, organizations, establishments and facilities to open.

"County Executive Glassman plans to reopen as much as the governor has allowed along with following safety measures," Glassman's spokeswoman, Cindy Mumby, said Wednesday evening in a statement to Patch.

See Also:

• Phase One Of Reopening From Coronavirus To Begin: MD Governor