Announcing that it has achieved seven consecutive days of moderate transmission of COVID-19, Montgomery County officials lifted its mask requirements for indoor public places Oct. 28, but warned “if the county’s rate of transmission increases to substantial transmission, the indoor mask mandate will be reinstated.”
The lifting of the masking requirement was announced Oct. 27 by Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. He thanked county residents for “the vigilance and adherence to our guidance, and that has allowed us to get back to moderate transmission.”
“The lifting of our indoor mask mandate is a significant achievement for Montgomery County and its residents,” Elrich said. “We got here because the people and businesses of this county accepted and adhered to the guidance we provided.”
He also warned that the pandemic is “definitely not over, and we shouldn’t act like it is; that would only put more people needlessly at risk.” He added that “despite the mandate being lifted, businesses and other organizations can continue to require customers or visitors to wear a mask in their establishments.”
Masks are still mandatory in schools and on public transportation.
The lifting of the masking mandate comes as the county on Oct. 27 reached its seventh consecutive day of less than 50 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents. That is the “moderate” level of transmission as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Earlier this year, the masking mandate was lifted in the jurisdictions that comprise the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington – the District of Columbia and Montgomery, Prince George’s, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland. However, the mandates were re-imposed in the summer following an increase in new coronavirus cases, due to “breakthrough” infections and a rise in Delta variant cases.
A “breakthrough” infection is when a fully vaccinated person contracts the virus, although the CDC reports vaccinated persons “are far less likely to get severely sick or die than people who are unvaccinated.”
The Delta variant of COVID-19 is particularly worrisome because it is about twice as contagious as the original virus. The Delta variant differs from the original coronavirus in that while it also causes fever and cough, it can also induce headaches, sinus congestion, sore throats and runny noses.
In an Oct. 27 email to local priests, Father Daniel Carson, the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, noted that while “masks are no longer required in indoor spaces in Montgomery County, including during Mass… pastors have the discretion to ask the faithful to continue masking at their respective parishes if they so choose.”
He also stressed that archdiocesan policy still requires the wearing of masks for all students, staff, and visitors in Catholic school buildings. He also suggested that people access the archdiocesan website at adw.org/coronavirus for the latest updates and information regarding the virus.
As of Oct. 28, no other local jurisdiction in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has announced plans to ease or suspend masking requirements, however Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks hinted that she may consider such a move in the near future.
“Prince George’s County’s COVID-19 case rate is declining. We want to thank Prince Georgians for your vigilance and care throughout this pandemic, and for stepping up to get vaccinated against COVID-19,” Alsobrooks wrote in a series of tweets. “We are closely monitoring our COVID-19 metrics, and if numbers continue to decline and our case rate remains under 50 per 100,000 residents for seven consecutive days, we will revise the indoor mask mandate.”
Since COVID-19 was pronounced a pandemic in March 2020, the CDC has reported that more than 45 million Americans have contracted the virus, resulting in more than 730,000 deaths. More than 10,000 Marylanders have died from the virus; in the District, more than 1,100 people have succumbed to the virus.
The CDC recommends that individuals who are unvaccinated should continue to wear a mask or face covering when indoors or in crowded areas to minimize the potential spread of the virus.
