Updates on County Responses to Maryland Re-Open Plan

Dear WANADA Members,

Earlier this week, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued an executive order allowing counties to proceed to "stage one" of the state's Roadmap to Recovery, starting at 5 p.m. today. While he said that the state as a whole had met  its  four stated benchmarks for beginning the re-opening process , he made it clear that counties could re-open on their own timelines, and almost all of the state's largest counties have taken him up on the offer.

In essence, we encourage all dealers and service station operators to continue with the same safety and capacity protocol they have had for the past few weeks in the following counties: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Charles, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's, plus Baltimore City. Calvert County extended their state of emergency, but will follow the state's new guidance on business capacity and operations, as will St. Mary's County. 

Current dealership and service operations remain unaffected in these counties, which have been defined as essential businesses throughout this pandemic.  Washingtonian magazine has compiled a helpful county-by-county list of their operating statuses, which you can view here .

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich also said the county he manages will retain its current operating status for the time being.  Meanwhile, Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks   extended the county's stay-at-home order   until June 1. Charles County leaders said their county will  extend the stay-at-home order  until May 29, as well. 

Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner issued an executive order yesterday that allows businesses with a footprint smaller than 10,000 square feet can operate with up to 50 percent of the maximum capacity, while ensuring that patrons and employees continue keeping six feet of distance from one another at all times. We encourage you to contact the county executive's office if you have a business with larger than 10,000 square feet of indoor space to see if you qualify for an exemption from the broader requirement that retail businesses conduct by-appointment and curbside services only.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball issued a modified order that allows a more limited number services to re-open, with some at a larger capacity than was previously allowed. Auto dealerships are not part of the capacity expansion, and the status quo for dealers remains in place in the county. Please click here to view the latest Howard County update.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman also issued a modified order similar in scope to Howard's, while also allowing Gov. Hogan's provisions allowing car washes, manufacturing, and animal shelters to ramp up operations. County Executive Pittman's order also maintains the current status quo for dealerships and service facilities.


Also, please remember that the state is requiring businesses   to provide their employees with masks and to require that they wear them in areas open to the public; almost every Maryland county in our region has also issued more restrictive safety regulations  of their own. The governor's executive order issued Wednesday reinforces the state's requirements. Both state and county health authorities may enforce these restrictions and implement penalties on non-compliant businesses.

Outside our region, Baltimore Mayor Jack Young extended the city's stay-at-home order until further notice. Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski extended the county's ban on gatherings of 10 people or more, while allowing previously-closed businesses to open for curbside pickup. There is no change to the current operating status of dealerships and service stations.

Harford County Executive Barry Glassman said his county will implement the governor's stage one re-opening plan beginning at 5 p.m. tonight, as will the leaders of Carroll and Washington counties, along with every county on the Eastern Shore. It was unclear if Queen Anne's County would proceed to stage one, but this morning they announced that the county would indeed implement Gov. Hogan's order as written.
 
In the counties where the stage one order is in effect, certain businesses and civic institutions can re-open at a lower capacity. Manufacturing will be able to resume, while adhering to the state's social distancing guidelines. Houses of worship will be able to re-open at 50 percent of their maximum occupancy. Similarly, many non-essential retail businesses will be able to open with the same parameters, and at this link you can find a non-exhaustive list of the previously-closed retail outlets that may now open.

The state has also published a series of helpful posters and business guidances at open.maryland.gov/backtobusiness. These include general best practices for all businesses, plus a guide for retail businesses. The governor recommended that businesses publish these guides at their facilities, as a good-faith gesture to their workers and customers, though that is not required the way that publishing the social distancing poster is.

Please let me or Joe Koch ( jk@wanada.org) know if you have any questions about this update. We are happy to provide you with any clarifications you may need. And  you can always find a wealth of resources, including links to Maryland, D.C., and Virginia's reopening plans, on the WANADA COVID-19 Information Library . Thank you.

Sincerely,
  
John O'Donnell
WANADA President and CEO