Montgomery County will continue to maintain the current level of pandemic restrictions and follow the reopening plan recently approved in the latest Board of Health regulation despite the governor’s state changes announced yesterday.
County detectives from the 4th District have arrested two people in a scam involving purchasing cars with fraudulent cashier’s checks, and believe that there may be more victims. Papa Sissoko, age 25, of Weeping Willow Court, and Alyssa Hernandez, age 24, of Bakersfield Court, both of Aspen Hill, have been charged with vehicle theft and forgery in the case.
The county has issued guidance reminding renters that they continue to have eviction protection despite a recent federal court decision. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s modified CDC Order for a Temporary Halt on Residential Evictions was vacated by a federal judge.
The number of homeless people in Montgomery County dropped 14%, from 670 people in 2020 to 577 in 2021, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Point-in-Time survey.
The county’s Office of Procurement has launched a new web-based service to connect vendors with county departments in conjunction with Small Business Month, officials announced. The Vendor Innovation Portal “will allow businesses to introduce their company and connect with the most appropriate contacts in the county that could best utilize their goods or services.”
The county’s Planning Department has released a study that recommends a series of proposals that could strengthen diverse retailers in three areas. The Retail in Diverse Communities Study looked at three communities—Silver Spring, Takoma-Langley Crossroads, and Wheaton—where local businesses have faced recent challenges not only from the pandemic, but also from redevelopment (primarily Wheaton) and Purple Line construction.
Montgomery County will maintain its current pandemic restrictions despite Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announcing yesterday, April 28, that he would lift the state’s outdoor mask mandate and restrictions on outdoor dining as of Saturday, May 1.
The parameters for the next stages of reopening the county have been set now that the County Council has passed an amended health regulation tying loosening restrictions to the percentage of vaccinated residents.
The County Council is planning an introduction, public hearing and vote next week on a revised Board of Health regulation that would add automatic triggers for reopening the county based on the percentage of residents receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The proposal would amend the current regulation to add three phases of reopening based on the percentages reported by the county’s health officer to the Board of Health.