Newly sworn-in Mayor Brandon Scott of Baltimore issued new Covid-19 restrictions on the city in his first executive order. Effective Friday, December 11, Baltimore has banned indoor dining at restaurants, restricting restaurants to carry-out.
The order further restricts casino operations at the Horseshoe Baltimore casino, reducing the allowable capacity from 50 percent to 25 percent, with no indoor food or drink service.
Scott’s order comes amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in Maryland, where a record number of people are hospitalized with Covid-19.
“We have not had to implement such severe restrictions since the very earliest days of the pandemic,” said Dr. Letitia Dzirasa, Baltimore’s health commissioner, during a news conference. “Unfortunately, with the volume of new cases that we are seeing … activities such as eating, drinking and smoking in close proximity to others should not continue.”
