Baltimore will relax COVID-19 capacity limits starting March 26, Mayor Brandon Scott announced Wednesday.
The mayor urged everyone to continue to take the pandemic seriously. “I will continue to caution Baltimoreans that this pandemic is still serious,” Scott said. “Far too many people, one a day, are still dying from this pandemic here in our city. We know that today is St. Patrick’s Day. Do not act a fool today because you might kill somebody. Understand how serious this is.”
The mayor made the announcements during an afternoon news conference Wednesday. After the news conference, Scott received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, administered by Baltimore Health Commissioner Dr. Letitia Dzirasa.
As an elected leader, Scott, 36, has been eligible for the vaccine since mid-January as part of Phase 1B of the rollout. He said Wednesday that he decided to wait until now because he didn’t “feel right” about receiving it ahead of eligible seniors when supplies were limited.
Scott’s vaccination was one of the first delivered as part of a “continuity of government” vaccination program, launched Wednesday at BCCC, which aims to get all city employees vaccinated. Dozens of city employees waited in line to get inside the site as Scott was vaccinated outdoors. After receiving the shot, he joked with reporters that he felt ready to run laps and lift some weights.
“We wanted me to get this today as part of our continuity of government to show our workers that it’s safe,” Scott said. “But also to use it as an example to my generation, who are the people who are contracting the virus the most, and show them just because we’re young and healthy, we need to step up and do the responsible thing and get the shot.”
After receiving the single-dose shot, Scott said he felt fine and urged residents to follow suit.
“It doesn’t matter what shot you get, get it,” Scott said. “What I just did will help save people’s lives.”
Effective at 6 a.m. on March 26, capacity limits will increase to 50% for religious facilities, retail, malls, indoor/outdoor recreation, fitness centers, casinos, libraries, museums, zoo, aquariums and personal services.
Indoor dining will be limited to 50% capacity and outdoor dining will be limited to 75% capacity (tents must be open on all sides). Bars without food licenses are also allowed to operate 75% outdoors and 50% indoors. Restaurants must keep a log of contact information for patrons and staff for contact tracing services.
Gatherings will need to comply with any relevant capacity based upon the space in which they are located.
Personal services, while limited to 50% capacity, must be by appointment only and a log of patrons must be kept. Hookah and cigar lounges can open retail spaces at 50% capacity, but no smoking will be allowed on site. Organized amateur sports can resume with guidelines and fitness classes will be allowed with a 10-person limit or 25% capacity, whichever is greater. Theaters and outdoor entertainment venues will be able to livestream performances; indoor theaters will be limited to 50% capacity or 100 persons, whichever is less; and outdoor theaters will be limited to 75% capacity or 250 persons, whichever is less.
Optimism is what some owners near Broadway Square in Fells Point are feeling, following the mayor’s announcement.
“For us, it’s very important for our customers and our employees to be safe, so we’re still going to be at about 25% indoors because you can only fit so many people in there when they’re socially distance,” Max’s Taphouse owner Ron Furman said.
And while Scott’s measures are a step in the right direction, Furman said since surrounding counties have lifted capacity limits, not only could customers take their money outside of the city, but employees could leave, too.
“One of the biggest problems we have is finding people to work for us right now. The money’s better out in the county because there’s more people and more tips,” he said.
But with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Furman is keeping optimistic that next year’s St. Patrick’s Day will be one to celebrate.
“Because this isn’t over. The sooner we get everybody vaccinated, the sooner there’s less chance of variants and things can return to normal,” he said. The mayor said he and city officials will review health metrics every two weeks now, instead of four.
African Americans number 812,786 or 29% of Baltimore’s population.
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