Correction: PG County Ready To Reopen Monday With Restrictions

Patch incorrectly said that Prince George’s County will begin to reopen on Friday. The county will reopen starting Monday.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — County Executive Angela Alsobrooks will be signing an executive order to lift her stay-at-home order and allow Prince George's County to enter the first stage of a modified phased reopening on Monday.

"I am now comfortable that it is time to lift the stay-at-home order," Alsobrooks said, during a Thursday morning press briefing. "Although again, I want to be very clear that we urge all those, especially those who suffer with the underlying chronic health conditions, to be very careful and we ask those individuals to be careful and to stay home as much as possible."

Alsobrooks announcement comes just a day after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said that rest of the state was ready to enter state two of its phased reopening. Prince George's and Montgomery counties chose not to join the rest of Maryland when it entered stage one on May 15. Alsobrooks instead opted to extend her stay-at-home order to June 1, which will now be the day the county enters stage one.

Under the phased reopening, the Prince George's County will reopen in with the following restrictions:

• Retail businesses will be able to open for curbside pickup. Customers can purchase items online or by phone and then go to the store to pick them up. Store employees will bring the items to the customer's vehicle.
• Manufacturing will reopen with appropriate social distancing and use of PPE (personal protective equipment), following CDC guidelines on cleaning high-use surfaces. All employees must be trained on CDC COVID-19 guidance before they return to work.
• Hair salons and barbershops can reopen for hair services by appointment only. There will be a one customer per 200 square-feet of space and employees must wear face masks and gloves. Customers must also wear masks. Social distancing must be maintained and customers will not be permitted to wait in the sitting areas of salons.
• Restaurants can continue offering delivery and curbside pickup. They can also open outdoor dining areas with some restrictions. Tables must be six feet apart and no more than 6 people will be allowed per table. The outdoor seating area must not exceed 50 people. Employees must wear face coverings and use hand sanitizer in the restaurant. Hand sanitizers must also be available for customers.
• Houses of worship may reopen for gatherings of under 10 people. Otherwise, they must maintain their online services.
• Farmers markets can reopen for carryout only. The markets must maintain social distancing, employees must wear masks, and high-usage surfaces must be cleaned following CDC standards.
• Childcare facilities can reopen for essential employees and employees returning to work as part of the county's modified phased reopening. Childcare providers must wear PPE and follow social distancing guidelines.
• Car washes may open with automated systems, with drivers and passengers remaining in their vehicles at all times.
• Golf courses, tennis courts and county parks will remain open, with appropriate social distancing measures in place. Playgrounds and basketball courts remain closed for the time being.
• Fitness facilities are to remain closed.
• The public must continue to wear masks inside all businesses in the county and the businesses must enforce social distancing.
• Prince George's County government offices will remain closed to the public. Employees will continue to telework with many county services available online.
• Bulky item trash pickup will resume on June 11.

"We are cautiously optimistic that as we prepare to enter phase one that we will be able to continue to see the declines that are very important to us," Alsobrooks said.

The Maryland Department of Health confirmed 408 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, the illness associated with the new coronavirus, in Prince George's County. The overall total number of positive cases in the county stands at 14,508.

In addition, 10 more people have died due to COVID-19, bringing the overall total of deaths in the county attributed to the disease to 506.

Globally, more than 5.7 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and over 356,000 people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Wednesday morning. In the United States, more than 1.6 million people have been infected and over 100,000 people have died from COVID-19.

Prince George's County still has the highest number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus of any county in the state, according to the latest data from the Maryland Department of Health. Second on the list is Montgomery County, with a total of 10,752 positive infections. However, Montgomery does have more COVID-19-related deaths than Prince George's County with 542 deaths as of Thursday morning.

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The Maryland Department of Health is releasing information about the new coronavirus by ZIP Code and the PG Heath Department began reporting that information on its website.

Confirmed Positive Coronavirus Cases by ZIP Code

The CDC advises doing the following to stop the spread of the virus:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If this is not available, use hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Keep 6 feet of space between people.
• Stay home.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

RELATED:

• MD Reopening Restaurants For Outdoor Dining, Stage 2 Nears: Hogan
• PG Confirmed Coronavirus Cases Top 14,000; 12 New Deaths
• Prince George's County Still Leads MD In Total Coronavirus Cases
• PG County Hospital Expands Ability To Treat Coronavirus
• Coronavirus Hospitalizations In MD Increase After 9-Day Decline
• Deaths Are In 2 Counties: Health Officials
• Alsobrooks: PG County On Track To Reopen June 1
• 4 PG County CVS Pharmacies To Offer Coronavirus Testing
• Over 2K Dead In Maryland From Coronavirus: Health Department