Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks on Thursday extended the county’s stay-at-home order to June 1, noting an average of nine deaths per day from COVID-19.
“What this means, this has quickly become, in the two months plus that we experienced, the leading cause of death in Prince George’s County,” Ms. Alsobrooks said at a press conference. “Needless to say, Prince George’s County is not ready to go to phase one.”
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he will authorize phase one of his statewide reopening plan on Friday, except for Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, which are still seeing increases in COVID-19 cases.
Ms. Alsobrooks on Thursday said the county does not meet the metrics set by the governor required for reopening.
The county has the highest rate of positive test results for the coronavirus in the state, with 1 in 3 tests coming back positive. The statewide rate is 1 in 5.
County hospitals are operating at 80% capacity, which is 40% more than what the intensive care units are accustomed to, Ms. Alsobrooks said, adding that Maryland doesn’t have enough testing or contact tracing capacity to warrant reopening either.
“The science tells us that if we open our doors at this moment, not only will we lose additional money, but we are going to lose more Prince Georgians, and that I have to tell you, I have a duty to make sure we are not only protecting livelihoods but we also have to protect your life,” the county executive said.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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