New Mask Rule, Cap On Indoor Gatherings To Take Effect In MoCo

BETHESDA, MD — Maryland's most populous jurisdiction will further restrict indoor gatherings and tighten its mask mandate, starting Tuesday, amid a surge in new coronavirus cases.

Under the new restrictions — which take effect at 5 p.m. — indoor social gatherings will be capped at 10 people and face masks will be required at all times outdoors and inside public facilities.

Officials say the limit on gatherings is in response to a surge in infections, which can be traced to events held among family and friends. The restrictions do not apply to businesses, establishments, and facilities. They are still subject to 25-percent or 25-person occupancy cap.

"We are entering a phase of COVID-19 that is very worrisome, and we need every resident to understand what that means," said Dr. Travis Gayles, the county's top health official. "Contact tracing data indicates that family and group gatherings are where a significant number of the state's cases are occurring."

Since the pandemic started in March, Montgomery County has had 31,622 confirmed cases and 893 deaths linked to COVID-19.

The county — which is home to roughly 1.1 million residents — continues to have the highest number of deaths in the state. It also has the second highest number of confirmed cases, after Prince George's County, which has 39,297, according to the latest figures.

Since the pandemic started in March, the county's daily caseload has surpassed 400 a total of three times. In November alone, there have been 16 days in which the county has recorded more than 200 infections — and three days with more than 300 cases.

"It is extremely important that each of us thinks about our collective responsibility to help slow down the spread of COVID-19," Gayles said. "The cases counts are continuing to rise at an alarming rate, and we need to take more drastic steps to reduce transmission."