Baltimore County To Lift Mask Order Starting Feb. 1

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — A mask mandate that County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. issued at the end of December due to the COVID-19 surge will be allowed to expire. The mandate was set to end Jan. 31.

Face coverings will no longer be required in indoor public spaces in Baltimore County starting Tuesday, Olszewski announced Monday afternoon.

"We are strongly encouraged by the progress we’ve seen in recent days," Olszewski said in a statement, "and remain cautiously optimistic that we will continue to emerge from this omicron wave."

The state of emergency for Baltimore County will be lifted as of Feb. 7, Olszewski said.

At the height of the omicron surge, Baltimore County had a 32.5 percent coronavirus positivity rate on Jan. 5.

The positivity rate for Baltimore County was 6.81 percent, the Maryland Department of Health reported as of Jan. 30.

That is not the only number reflecting the decrease in infections. The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Baltimore County has decreased by almost 50 percent since Jan. 11, officials reported Monday.

“We know that the best way to continue our progress is for every resident to protect themselves, their loved ones, and our community by getting vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible," said Olszewski, who tested positive for the virus at the end of December. "Moving forward, we will continue to closely monitor key metrics and remain prepared to take whatever steps are necessary to protect public health."

While the general mask order will be lifted in public indoor spaces, Baltimore County will continue to require masks for the public and employees in Baltimore County government buildings.

Visit baltimorecountymd.gov/vaccine to find out about getting a vaccine or booster shot, and see COVID-19 testing options from Baltimore County.

See Also:

• Baltimore County Executive Declares COVID-19 State Of Emergency
• Baltimore County Expanding Testing As COVID-19 Cases Spike