New Grant Program Aimed at Helping Businesses to Reopen
The Montgomery County Council has passed legislation that creates a grant program designed to help local businesses comply with reopening requirements.
MoCo News
About 240,000 Marylanders on unemployment as $600-per-week federal supplements run out. As of last Saturday, almost a quarter-million Marylanders were collecting unemployment insurance, according to the Department of Labor. Prince […]
Purple Line development faces contract dispute.
Purple Line Transit Partners (PLTP), the consortium of companies building the Purple Line, plans to pull out of the public-private partnership next month on August 22 unless a new contract agreement is reached. The dispute comes from rising costs and construction delays. Cost overruns for the $2 billion project now total $755 million. In addition, the contractors claim that a 2014 environmental lawsuit delayed the project for 266 days. Both state officials and PLTP have stated that they are committed to negotiating a settlement before August.
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At-Home COVID-19 Tests Coming To MoCo
Residents of Takoma Park, Silver Spring, and Gaithersburg will have access to at-home COVID-19 tests beginning this week.
MoCo Census completion lags behind 2010. Only 72.2 percent of MoCo residents have completed the Census, compared to 76.1 percent in 2010, according to the Census Bureau’s self-response rate data. […]
New Montgomery County program connects people who have a bike to donate to people who need one. The program aims to help to ease COVID-19 transportation difficulties. Citizens are able to apply to either donate a bike to someone in need, or to receive a bike from another donor. The program matches donors with recipients, offering a COVID-safe opportunity to help people within the community.
They ask that bikes only be offered if they are in ready-to-ride condition. Exchanges are made in public places or county-designated exchange zones that are outdoor and contactless, however it is still asked that both parties wear masks and gloves.
Gaithersburg-based lab awarded $1.6 billion for COVID-19 vaccine.
Novavax Inc. is expected to deliver 100 million doses of their vaccine as early as the end of 2020, according to a press release. They will first conduct a clinical trial with up to 30,000 participants in the fall. Novavax will share their results from a smaller trial conducted in Australia at the end of July.
The Montgomery County Government recently announced that they have made visits to 1,900 MoCo businesses to ensure that safety procedures are being followed. Two hookah lounges, a bar, and a restaurant have been closed for not properly following opening guidelines.
Per the county’s instructions, residents who have concerns about a business not following COVID-19 restrictions should email [email protected] or call 311.
County Executive Marc Elrich will not announce Phase Three of MoCo’s reopening plan until about a week after the July 4 weekend, he said on Wednesday. Phase Three allows limited openings of concerts and theaters and decreased distancing requirements for gyms, places of worship, and other indoor gatherings.
Elrich and MoCo Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles are delaying Phase Three to give officials time to analyze data and check for emerging hotspots of cases following the holiday weekend.
Today, the City of Gaithersburg Government announced that the Summerfest and fireworks scheduled for July 4 are canceled for this year due to public health concerns. This event was expected to be held at Bohrer Park.
The city plans to hold virtual activities instead. They also plan to share a video with previous years’ displays so residents can celebrate while following distancing guidelines.
The Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission has launched a new rental assistance program for people affected by Covid-19. The program plans to offer up to $500 a month per household to partially cover rent expenses. People who have lost their jobs, had an increase of expenses, or are otherwise experiencing financial hardship due to the current economic situation are encouraged to apply.
The window to apply starts June 1, 2020 at 10:00 AM and closes June 5, 2020 at 2:00 PM.