Montgomery County

Montgomery County's Indoor Mask Mandate Ends Monday Night

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The indoor mask mandate in Montgomery County, Maryland, ends Monday night. As of midnight Tuesday, masks will no longer be required in public spaces

Masks will still be required in Montgomery County Public Schools and on public transportation.

Last month, county leaders had extended the mandate as the omicron variant of COVID-19 spread.

"We will continue to monitor the situation, and if there should be another surge, based on our experience over the last two years, we know what we need to do to reduce the risk," said County Executive Marc Elrich in a statement.

In addition, businesses and other organizations may choose to continue requiring customers or visitors to wear masks in their establishments. 

"In consultation with our outstanding public health team, we have determined that an indoor mask mandate is not required at this point because Montgomery County's vaccination rates are some of the best in the nation and case rates, hospitalizations, and community transmission rates are low," said Council President Gabe Albornoz in a statement.

According to Montgomery County's COVID data dashboard Monday, the rate of community transmission was listed as substantial, the second-highest grading of transmission. The county's test positivity rate Monday was listed as 2.63% for the seven-day average, which is a mark of low transmission. The county has a low utilization of ICU beds and hospital beds, although COVID-related hospital bed use was moderate, according to the dashboard.

Montgomery County says 95% of its residents have received at least one vaccine dose, and nearly 85% are fully vaccinated. The county says that 51.5% have received a booster or additional dose.

The CDC recommends that unvaccinated people should continue to wear masks when indoors or in crowded areas.

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