The Montgomery County Department of Police and the state police yesterday announced policies and procedures the departments would follow while enforcing Gov. Larry Hogan’s Monday stay-at-home order. Neither department’s officers will make random stops to ask whether drivers are in compliance with the order to undertake only essential travel.
Gov. Larry Hogan has issued an executive order directing Marylanders to remain in their homes during the COVID-19 emergency, effective at 8 p.m. tonight, March 30. “I have signed an executive order which institutes a stay-at-home directive,” the governor announced during a press conference this morning. “No Maryland resident should be leaving their home unless it is for an essential job, or for an essential reason, such as obtaining food, or medicine, seeking urgent medical attention, or for other necessary purposes.”
Gov. Larry Hogan extended the closure of public schools due to the COVID-19 emergency, and Montgomery County Public Schools began distributing laptops to students needing them for distance learning. The closures are in effect until at least April 24 and all extracurricular programs, athletic programs are cancelled.
The County Council yesterday introduced emergency legislation and special appropriations to assist small businesses and nonprofit organizations affected by the COVID-19 emergency. The actions would allow the county executive to provide grants of up to $75,000 to organizations “with 100 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees that can demonstrate financial losses caused by the public health emergency.”
Residents of the Seven Oaks/Evanswood neighborhood this week crowd sourced a list of local restaurants still serving customers during the COVID-19 emergency. The Google Docs spreadsheet is online for reference and open to edits and additions from others, who have since expanded the original list.
The county’s Department of Transportation has designated six temporary “No Parking” zones in downtown Silver Spring to make curbside pickup of takeout orders easier for local residents. In addition, the county has temporarily established free parking for residents in the Bonifant/Dixon garage at 1101 Bonifant St.
Update: The state Department of Health now confirms 15 cases in Montgomery County.
Most county facilities are now closed to the public, and other changes are either in effect or expected in an effort to combat COVID-19. As of Sunday afternoon, there were 12 confirmed cases of the disease, according to information from the state, county officials announced yesterday.
County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Sidney Katz issued a joint statement after Gov. Larry Hogan signed authorization yesterday for special state funding to address the COVID-19 virus. As a public service, the Source is publishing it in its entirety.
Fans of electric scooters would face new restrictions on their use under the terms of a bill introduced this week by Council President Sidney Katz (D-District 3). Bill 8-20, Bicycles and E-Scooters—Operating Requirements and Registration, would create operating requirements for the use of low-speed electric scooters and is intended to reduce injuries, among other purposes.