Taking Action To Save Lives
Further COVID-19 Restrictions Coming As Hospital Numbers Continue To Rise In Prince George’s
Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks announced new COVID-19 restrictions during a Dec. 10 press conference — with specific measures to come into effect Wednesday Dec 16.
Since March 2020, there have been over 45,500 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Prince George’s County. Some 952 Prince George’s County residents have died of the virus
“Our positivity rate has risen 10.1%,” Alsobrooks explained. “The daily case rate is up to 45.7 per 100,000 residents. Hospital capacity has fallen since Thanksgiving. We must act now to limit the spread of COVID-19. We are headed in the wrong direction and we must take swift and immediate action,” she said.
Highlights of the press conference include the announcement of restrictions as of Dec. 16 (see video above for full press conferwnce:
>Indoor restaurant dining will end (starting at 5: 00 p.m.)
>Outdoor dining will be reduced to 50% capacity
>Casinos limited to 25% capacity
>Retail shops will be limited to 25% capacity
>Limit non-essential trips
The new measures will remain in effect until Jan 16. New stronger enforcement efforts on compliance and non compliance
The top executive said that while she understood that residents are suffering from COVID fatigue she pushed for residents to remain vigilant and safe. “Wear a mask, cover your noose (the virus spreads thru the nose). “If you wear a mask below your nose, you don’t have on a mask,” Alsobrooks said.
The County Executive also recognized that the vaccine against the virus “does not mean that we are out of the woods.” She announced that additional virtual meetings and town halls will be held to inform the community and exchange ideas responses.
Alsobrooks also introduced receiving two grants to address behavioral medicine needs. “Over the course of the next five years, Prince George’s County will receive $22.9 million in grant funding. for behavioral health. This is the largest behavioral grant awarded to any single county in the state.”
The grant will allow the county to enhance and expand mobile crisis teams, create a crisis receiving and stabilization center, implement technological advances to the crisis call center and expand a specialized case management system for high risk individuals being discharged from the hospital. There will also be an expanded transportation option for those with behavioral health needs involved in the crisis system. In November, a plan was approved to build a mental health and addiction services facility in the county.
The county has also received a grant of $7 million over five years for the treatment and prevention of diabetes.
“Too often we have seen instances where black, brown, impoverished and disadvantaged communities pay the price for poor access to health care,” Alsobrooks said. “Time and time again studies show that minorities lack equal access to care and when minorities seek treatment there are often disparities in how that care is delivered. So we are taking action…to save the lives of countless Prince Georgians.”
