Phase Two Reopening Date Confirmed For PG County

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks confirmed Thursday the county would be entering Phase Two of Gov. Larry Hogan's phased reopening on Monday, June 15, at 5 p.m.

In making the announcement, Alsobrooks thanked Prince Georgians for following health officials' guidance, which helped the county lower the number of coronaviruses cases and deaths during the pandemic. She also acknowledged the ongoing efforts of front-line workers who continue to fight COVID-19, the disease associated with the new coronavirus.

"As we began to move on into Phase Two, I don't forget the fact that there are still a mother, father, sister, brother, who are working to save lives, but with their own lives at risk," she said. "And I want to just continue to thank those people who are still very much in the midst of this fight. It is not over yet."

The week of April 26 was the peak week in the number of coronavirus cases in the county, with 2,317 new cases. Since then, the Prince George's Health Department has seen a steady decline in new cases.

"Our most recent data from last week, starting May 30, shows that we had 1,432 new cases," Alsobrooks said. "The rate of death from COVID-19 is going down. The week of April 26, we had over 17 residents per week who were dying from COVID-19."

The death rate in Prince George's County has continued to drop. The week before May 30, the county had 50 total deaths, with an average of 7.1 deaths per day. That's a slight decrease from 7.6 of the week before.

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have also been on the decline. On May 9, there were 262 COVID-19 patients in county hospitals. Since June 1, hospitalizations have remained below 150 patients.

Prince George's County has also exceeded its goal of testing 10,000 per week, and the rate of residents testing positive has dropped from 43.1 percent the week of April 19 to 14.1 percent last week.

The following changes and restrictions will be in place Monday when Prince George's County enters Phase Two:

• Retail stores will be open to in-store service with safeguards and capacity limits of five people per 1,000 square feet of space and up to 50 percent capacity.
• Barbershops and hair salons will be open for hair services by appointment only at 50 percent capacity with the use of PPE. Employees must wear masks and gloves. Customers must also wear masks. The shop should employ appropriate floor covering to create adequate social distancing space.
• All other personal services, which include nail salons, massage parlors and spas, can now be open by appointment with strong safeguards and physical distancing in place. These businesses must have PPE, including face coverings and gloves, and they must only have one customer per 200-square-feet of service delivery space. Customers must wear facial coverings. Also, high contact surfaces must be cleaned with disinfectant every two hours.
• Restaurants may open with both outside seating and for indoor dining at 50 percent capacity as allowed for in the state of Maryland. No more than six people can be seated per table and tables must be located six feet apart. No more than 50 people will be allowed in any outdoor restaurant establishment, no matter how large the space. Employees must have health screenings prior to their shifts and all CDC guidelines must be followed. All employees must wear face masks. Restaurants must have hand sanitizer and appropriate washing facilities available.
• Houses of worship can open for gatherings not to exceed 25 percent capacity, otherwise they can maintain online, drive-thru, and outdoor services of 250 people or less, provided they maintain appropriate social distancing.
• Child care facilities will be able to open for essential employees and for employees who are returning to work in Phase Two.
• Youth sports consisting of no more than nine children and one coach will be allowed. However, there can be no more than 50 people in any one area.
• Community pools, both public and private, may open during Phase Two at 25 percent capacity. Social distancing guidelines must be in place and followed. Indoor pools will remain closed.
• Gyms, fitness centers, and other indoor physical activities will remain closed during Phase Two.
• Parks are open for personal fitness and fitness classes. This includes all parks, fields, tennis courts, tracks, and golf courses. No contact sports will be allowed as well.
• Car washes may open with automated systems, but drivers and passengers must stay inside of the vehicle at all times. Workers may wipe down the exterior of the car and self service car cleaning is allowed.
• County government will return a limited number of employees and will increase some additional services. However, county employees are encourage to continue teleworking.

Although many more services will be open in Phase Two, Dr. Ernest Carter, Prince George's County's health officer, warned residents to continue practicing preventative measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

"We must continue to stay six feet from each other in public," he said. "You still have to wear a mask at the store and public transportation,or when you're coming in close contact with individuals other than family members. Please continue to wash your hands. Stay at home as much as possible. We're still safer at home. We are winning this battle. Prince George's County is winning this battle. But we have to stay disciplined to continue to get across the finish line."

Carter also noted that individuals who may be taking part in any of the mass protests going on in the region should be tested for COVID-19.

"We want you to get tested if you attended or plan to attend a mass protest," he said. "Even if you do all the right things to protect yourself during these important events, large gatherings pose a high risk of transmission."

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