Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said Thursday her hard-hit county will remain in phase two of its reopening plan for a few more weeks because of a slight spike in Covid-19 cases following Labor Day weekend.
That means theaters and bars in the county will remain closed and restaurants and retail must remain capped at 50% capacity. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan allowed the state to move into phase three on Sept. 4 — which allowed all businesses to reopen — and has permitted restaurants to move to 75% capacity but some localities have opted out.
“Even if the state and other counties have decided to head to phase three for reopening, Prince George’s County will remain in phase two for now,” Prince George’s Health Officer Earl Carter said at a press conference Thursday. “This is a long haul, and we need to be a bit more cautious in our reopening. There are still too many Covid tests coming back positive in the county to feel comfortable to move to phase three.”
