(EDITOR’S NOTE: Several readers have said that Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles鈥� order is ambiguous on whether masks must be worn at all times outdoors, or only when outdoors and coming into contact with people not in one鈥檚 household.
Barry Hudson, a spokesman for Gayles鈥� office, told 海角精品黑料 that a clarification is forthcoming, but said, 鈥淚f you鈥檙e leaving your home and you鈥檙e going to be in contact with people who are not your family members, you should always think to have your mask on. And if you鈥檙e going someplace where you don鈥檛 think you鈥檙e going to be coming in contact, you should always carry a mask, just in case.鈥�)
Just ahead of Thanksgiving, the health officer in Montgomery County, Maryland, is putting in place new coronavirus safety restrictions, including a reduced cap on the size of gatherings.
Dr. Travis Gayles said in a statement that indoor gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited effective 5 p.m. Tuesday. Masks are required outdoors at all times, and inside all public facilities.
The move comes as a host of area localities are putting in new restrictions in response to a leap in COVID-19 cases, and family gatherings are a big driver of that increase, Gayles said in a statement.
鈥淐ontact tracing data indicates that family and group gatherings are where a significant number of the state鈥檚 cases are occurring,鈥� Gayles said.
鈥淚t is extremely important that each of us thinks about our collective responsibility to help slow down the spread of COVID-19. The case counts are continuing to rise at an alarming rate, and we need to take more drastic steps to reduce transmission.鈥�
Cases of the virus in Montgomery County have gone up by more than 2,000 in the past week, the statement said.
The directive also says that masks with valves, and face shields without masks, do not count as proper face coverings.
Businesses that are allowed to open still have a limit of 25 people, and the cap on outdoor gatherings remains at 25.
You can read Gayles鈥� full directive on the .
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