May 29, 2020
Media Contact:
Scott Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County announced today beginning at 5:00 p.m. outdoor pools, outdoor youth camps and sports may reopen with significant physical distancing and sanitation measures in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order. The Department of Recreation & Parks is planning to resume outdoor youth camps, programs and classes beginning June 29th. Drive-in movie theaters may also open in accordance with the Governor’s order.
“After reviewing our data and the details of the Governor’s recommendations, Howard County is ready to reopen these outdoor activities,” said County Executive Calvin Ball. “COVID-19 is here for the near future, and it’s critical that our community recognizes that as we reopen parts of our economy everyone continues to take precautions and reduce their risk. We remain committed to reopening safely and effectively and will continue to be data-informed in our decisions.”
Howard County is following State of Maryland guidance for youth camps and youth sports, and outdoor pools. Yesterday, Howard County announced the reopening of restaurant and bars for outdoor seating beginning this evening at 5:00 p.m. Here is interpretive guidance for today's announcement.
Department of Recreation & Parks Details
Howard County Recreation & Parks Department continues to follow CDC, state and local guidelines, and have moved many programs online. Offerings include adult and youth programs. The list of online programs can be viewed at https://www.howardcountymd.gov/athomewithhocorec.
Recreation & Parks will be contacting youth sports-fields-programs and field permit holders for youth practices in the coming week regarding their existing permit(s) and required guidelines for COVID-19 safety protocols. Once contacted, a start date will be discussed.
Weddings and other large events have been cancelled through July 1. Full refunds will be provided to those that signed up for any program or rental affected by the closure. Participants may be contacted prior to a refund to see if they are interested in an online option.
Although parks are open to residents, basketball courts and playgrounds remain closed at this time.
The following skate parks will open on May 30th:
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Centennial Park North
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North Laurel Community Center
Users are required to follow CDC guidelines that include physical distancing, face masks and staying home when not feeling well.
The following will be resuming June 29th:
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Outdoor youth camps, programs, and classes.
Building Blocks for Reopening Progress
This week, the Howard County Health Department (HCHD) received a delivery of 14 pallets of PPE from the Maryland Department of Health. The shipment included:
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80,000 kn95 masks
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20,000 n95 masks
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41,000 gloves
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15,100 gowns
The County currently has enough PPE to provide for nursing homes and county agencies for 30 days and continues to evaluate our PPE goal based upon several factors, including a number of COVID patients and anticipated length of stay. Additionally, according to the Maryland Department of Health, Howard County’s seven day rolling average of positive tests is 8.6%, as of May 27th.