Mask Mandate Returns Indoors In MOCO: Council Votes Yes

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Masks will once again be required indoors in Montgomery County, as the community has reached substantial transmission of the coronavirus. The County Council voted Thursday to reinstate the mandate, beginning on Aug. 7.

The mandate will be removed when the transmission level is "moderate" for seven consecutive days.

“I’m sorry we’re back here again,” said Councilmember Nancy Navarro at the vote. “I know that this is extraordinarily frustrating for everyone who has stepped up and done what they had to do.”

The mandate has some exceptions, such as for faith leaders who are speaking from at least six feet away from their congregants.

Some residents said they supported the mask mandate at the public hearing before the vote. One soccer complex employee said he had always wanted to keep the mandate indoors, but had trouble arguing with customers who didn’t want to wear them.

The owner of a cigar lounge in Bethesda said he was also in favor, but asked for an amendment to allow businesses like his to stay open. Anderson said allowing customers to remove masks once seated in the lounge area would allow him to keep his business open.

“Treat cigar lounges like you would treat restaurants and bars,” said John Anderson.

The councilmembers voted later in the meeting to amend the proposal to allow businesses to apply for an exemption in certain cases — the vote was prompted by Anderson's testimony. Businesses that are approved will be required to stay in compliance with CDC guidance, a move that keeps social distancing measures in place for businesses such as Anderson's that allow customers to remove their masks in some instances.

Others at the public hearing questioned the validity of the mandate, saying that people had a personal responsibility to get vaccinated and putting this mandate in place will take away the incentive for some people to get the vaccine.

“These restrictions are unnecessary,” said resident William Fitzmaurice. “They are uninformed, and at this point I think it is time to put an end to a measure that was originally intended to be temporary.”

Some said that children who are not eligible for the vaccine are very unlikely to become seriously ill from the virus, a point that Councilmember Gabriel Albornoz pushed back on.

“Children under the age of 12 do not have access to this vaccination,” he said at the vote. “While it may be true — fortunately and thank God — that death rates are not as consistent as they are with other vulnerable populations and with our adult population, we are still learning everyday about the ramifications of this virus and the long term ramifications of this virus on those that are infected.”

Transmission in Montgomery County

Substantial transmission is defined as 50 to 99 cases per 100,000 people per week, according to the CDC. Montgomery County has a population of 1.05 million, meaning about 75 cases per day for a seven-day period or 525 cases in a week qualifies as substantial transmission.

There have been 605 cases reported in the past week, according to the county’s data — that’s 57.6 cases per 100,000 county residents in the past week placing it in the substantial transmission category.

The reported new case counts this week have been:

• Friday, July 30 - 97
• Saturday, July 31 - 98
• Sunday, Aug. 1 - 90
• Monday, Aug. 2 - 66
• Tuesday, Aug. 3 - 41
• Wednesday, Aug. 4 - 98
• Thursday, Aug. 5 -115

Local Mandates

Rockville and Gaithersburg had already decided to require masks in city buildings earlier this week, citing rising case counts and an abundance of caution.

"The safety of our staff, residents and visitors is our paramount concern," said Gaithersburg City Manager Tanisha Briley in a statement. "Masking has proven very effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19. We encourage everyone to get vaccinated, and we will continue to do our part to reduce transmission by requiring indoor masking and physical distancing until such time as it is safe to remove these restrictions."

Rockville’s government said the order was put in place partly to protect unvaccinated people, such as children who aren’t eligible for the shot yet.

"Despite the high rate of vaccination in Montgomery County, there are still many adults and adolescents who have not been vaccinated," the county states. "In addition, children under the age of 12 are too young to be vaccinated. This can create a risk for a new rise in infections, particularly with the new variants, including the Delta variant."

County Executive Marc Elrich told reporters Wednesday that he’s gotten emails from people concerned that schools might close down again. The county executive said that isn’t what’s going to happen.

“Everything we’re doing is an effort to avoid having to do anything more severe, like shutting down schools,” he said.

Read the council's resolution here.

SEE RELATED:

• Vaccine Or Tests Required For Some MD Workers: Hogan
• Masks Required In MOCO Schools, Regardless Of Vaccination Status
• Masks Required in Rockville City Buildings Again
• Masks Mandate Reinstated in Gaithersburg City Buildings

Correction: This story has been updated to say that substantial transmission is defined as 50 to 99 cases per 100,000 people per week. It previously said per day.