Several Montgomery County businesses have been shuttered in the past couple of weeks for flagrantly violating the county’s phase two re-opening guidelines. The businesses were shuttered after several complaints, including a Gaithersburg restaurant whose owner explicitly declared on Facebook that its employees would not wear face masks as required by the state.
Two hookah lounges – one in Rockville, and another in Silver Spring – were also closed, because hookah lounges are not allowed to operate even under the more lenient state-issued stage two reopening guidelines. A restaurant in Silver Spring was closed for failure to adhere to social distancing guidelines, as well.
Even in the case of the Gaithersburg restaurant that was shuttered after explicitly refusing to adhere to the state mask ordinance, the county initially was reticent to close the restaurant. County health officer Travis Gayles told The Washington Post that businesses will be warned before they are shuttered, but that compliance efforts would continue to be enforced.
Across the region, state and local departments of health are empowered to shutter businesses who are not aligned with the latest safety requirements. Across the region, both patrons and employees of public-facing businesses are required to wear masks, and to provide ample sanitation materials and space for social distancing. We strongly encourage all our members and Bulletin readers to remain vigilant about compliance, in order to ensure the health of employees and to help the region continue its strong progress in reducing the transmission of this virus.
To view the latest health guidelines in your state or county, please visit WANADA’s COVID-19 Information Library.
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