BALTIMORE (AP) - Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has enacted an order to maintain the city’s COVID-19 limitations, despite Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to ease most capacity restrictions.
The Baltimore Sun reports that under Scott’s order, the city’s restaurants and bars will continue to seat patrons at 50% capacity outdoors and 25% indoors. Retailers, fitness centers, libraries, museums, casinos, barber shops and salons, as well as theaters and outdoor entertainment venues, can entertain a quarter of their maximum volume of customers.
During a news conference Friday, Scott said his administration would continue to follow the science and would not change course based on the decisions of Hogan and neighboring county leaders.
Scott cited the impact the coronavirus has had on Baltimore: COVID-19 has infected 41,262 city residents and killed 810 more since officials began to track the disease last March.
“Our nation and our city is still very much in the midst of this pandemic,” Scott said.
As of Thursday, Baltimore’s testing positivity rate was below the state average, but its seven-day average of 19.3 infections per 100,000 people was well above the state’s 13.7, state health department data showed.
Only about 9.4% of Baltimore residents have been completely vaccinated.
Hogan’s order eased many restrictions designed to curb the virus’ spread. Citing declines in key coronavirus metrics, the Republican governor lifted capacity limits on restaurants, bars and most other businesses statewide, while allowing large venues to reopen at half capacity.
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