Following the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations last week, which recommend that everyone wear a mask indoors in places with “substantial” community spread of COVID, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that masks would be required indoors beginning Saturday, July 31, irrespective of ones vaccination status.
In Virginia, Gov. Ralph Northam issued an update that residents “should consider” wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces, but stressed that this “is not a requirement, but a recommendation.” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan also stated that a new statewide mask requirement is not currently being considered.
Currently, our region is seeing increased COVID case rates compared to a month or two ago, though they are significantly lower than other parts of the country that have vastly lower vaccination rates. As a result, many of the counties in our region do not meet the threshold the CDC has defined for “substantial” community spread.
We will be sure to keep WANADA’s membership updated whenever these guidelines change in the future, and we recommend all businesses continue to keep up to date on local and county restrictions when it comes to mask requirements. We also encourage your employees to take advantage of the highly-effective vaccines that are available, without appointment, at numerous locations across our region.
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