TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski held a press conference on Thursday to address the county’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On Thursday, Olszewski announced that, effective Friday, June 5, at 5 p.m., Baltimore County will repeal all local orders in order to align with Governor Larry Hogan’s announcement that the state would begin moving into Stage Two of the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery.

Non-essential businesses will be allowed to reopen.

Olszewski issued the following statement:

“Baltimore County has taken significant steps to stand up the infrastructure necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic while gradually and safely reopening our economy.

“Thanks to our efforts to expand access to PPE, increase availability of testing, and ramp-up our contact-tracing program, we’ve seen continued progress in key areas, including our testing positivity rate, remains lower than the state average.

“The State’s patchwork approach to reopening has confused residents, put businesses on an unequal playing field, and limited the impact of an individual jurisdiction’s public health efforts. By aligning with the state, Baltimore County is providing clarity for our residents – though we must be clear that these new steps do not mean we can return to life as we knew it before COVID-19.

“This dangerous disease is still with us. More people will get sick, and more families will lose loved ones. In the absence of a cure or vaccine, we must remain vigilant against this vicious virus and prepare for the potential of a second spike. I urge our residents and businesses to continue to practice caution. Our older residents and those with chronic health conditions continue to be at the highest risk and should continue to take every precaution to protect their health and safety.

“We will continue to monitor this situation, and we will not hesitate to change course if necessary in order to protect the public’s health. It’s important for our residents to understand that they continue to play a critical role in ensuring the health and safety of others. We need to remember that we’re in this together and can only get through this together.”