County Council to Meet on January 18 to Hold a Public Hearing on Proposed Board of Health Regulation for Vaccination Requirements to Enter Bars, Restaurants, Gyms and Other Establishments

Per Montgomery County:

For Immediate Release: Thursday, January 13, 2022

Council meets on Jan. 18 to hold a public hearing and worksession on proposed Board of Health regulation

The Montgomery County Council will meet virtually via Zoom as the Board of Health on Tuesday, Jan. 18 to hold a public hearing and conduct a worksession on a resolution to adopt a Board of Health Regulation to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in the County-Vaccination Requirements to Enter Bars, Restaurants, Fitness Centers and Other Covered Establishments. The public hearing will be held at 10:30 a.m. The Council meeting will begin at 9 a.m. with the Council meeting as the Board of Health starting at 9:30 a.m.

The resolution to adopt a Board of Health Regulation to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in the County-Vaccination Requirements to Enter Bars, Restaurants, Fitness Centers and Other Covered Establishments was introduced on Jan. 11, 2022, as recommended by County Executive Elrich.

The resolution would approve a Board of Health regulation to:

• Require restaurants, bars, fitness centers, and other “covered establishments and facilities” to require patrons to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before entering indoor areas.
• Phase-in proof of vaccination requirements on specified dates.
• Exempt certain establishments and facilities from the requirement, including establishments and facilities providing essential government services and social services.
• Exempt certain individuals from the requirement, including individuals who enter the facility for a quick and limited purpose, and those who are entitled to medical or religious accommodations.

Under the proposed regulation, the phased-in vaccination requirement would occur as follows:

• Effective January 22, 2022, proof of one dose required for patrons 12 years and older;
• Effective February 15, 2022, proof of all doses (excluding boosters) required for patrons 12 years and older; and
• Effective March 1, 2022, proof of all doses (excluding boosters) required for patrons five years-and-one month and older.

This new proposed Board of Health regulation, does not impact Montgomery County’s existing Board of Health guidance on face coverings under Resolution 19-1120, which was adopted on Jan. 4, 2022.

The deadline to sign up for the virtual public hearing is Monday, Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. The proposed Board of Health regulation is available here and on the Council’s webpage.

Residents can sign up to testify via Zoom here. If you are not available for the public hearing but want to provide testimony to the Council you can do so by submitting written, audio or video testimony here. More information can be found at the Montgomery County Council’s webpage at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/council.

The Council meeting is being conducted remotely via Zoom and will be televised live on County Cable Montgomery (Xfinity channels 6 and 996, RCN channels 6 and 1056; and FiOS channel 30). The meeting is also available live via streaming through the Council website at http://tinyurl.com/z9982v8, Facebook Live (@MontgomeryCountyMdCouncil or @ConcejodelCondadodeMontgomery), or YouTube (@MoCoCouncilMD).