New coronavirus restrictions on indoor and outdoor dining, casinos and retail stores in Prince George’s County will go into effect Wednesday evening through mid-January.
Indoor dining at restaurants must close when restrictions begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Banquets, receptions, meeting rooms in hotels, conference centers and similar venues are prohibited from offering indoor dining.
Outdoor dining will be allowed at 50% capacity, and restaurants can offer curbside and takeout services.
Casinos must limit capacity to 25%, and all retail stores must drop capacity to 25%. All businesses are required to enforce physical distancing and mask wearing.
The new restrictions will last through Jan. 16, and county officials will monitor COVID-19 data and trends to determine if the measures should be extended.
As of Tuesday, the county has recorded 47,800 coronavirus cases and 971 deaths. There are currently 5,366 people hospitalized due to COVID-19, county health data show. During the first week in December, the county recorded a positivity test rate of 9.7%, which puts the jurisdiction in the “red zone.”
• Shen Wu Tan can be reached at stan@washingtontimes.com.
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