NOTTINGHAM, MD—Baltimore County will join the state of Maryland in lifting all restrictions on indoor and outdoor venues and indoor and outdoor dining effective Saturday, May 15, officials announced on Friday afternoon.

Indoor face covering requirements will remain in effect. This means that individuals must continue to wear face masks while inside public spaces, in schools, and in restaurants while not eating or drinking.

While Governor Hogan announced that the statewide indoor mask mandate will lift once 70 percent of adults have received at least a single dose of vaccine, County leaders are cautioning residents not to get too excited.  Baltimore County elected officials say they will consider this measure in the coming days, and may decide to continue the indoor mask mandate beyond the state’s order.

County Executive Johnny Olszewski released the following statement:

“After a long and difficult year, I am pleased we have reached a point where we feel that it is safe to lift capacity restrictions. A sense of normalcy is returning, and I know we are all anxious to get back to the things we love to do.

At the same time, despite incredible progress in our vaccination efforts, we still have a considerable amount of work ahead to vaccinate more of our residents. We should remember that Marylanders under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for a vaccine. We have a responsibility to keep our children safe. We are currently considering whether to continue the indoor mask mandate in Baltimore County, as we want to be sure that we do not inadvertently put our youngest residents at risk.”