The Prince George’s County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend its indoor mask mandate until March 9.
Originally set to expire on Jan. 23, the declaration encourages residents to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations and booster shots. Members of the county council also recommend residents to wear a N95 or KN95 mask, or a cloth mask layered over a surgical mask.
The Prince George’s County Health Department is distributing free take-home rapid tests at several libraries and community centers, according to its website. Each person may receive one test kit containing two antigen tests, and they must provide proof of residency such as a driver’s license, utility bill or lease agreement.
[The Clarice will require patrons to show proof of vaccination or negative COVID test]
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines reported that Prince George’s County is an area of “high” community transmission, according to the county’s daily COVID-19 update on Tuesday. The percentage of positive tests in the past seven days was 29.95, according to the report.
The county reported 524 new cases between Nov. 21 and Nov. 27 out of 21,917 tests, according to the county COVID-19 dashboard. The dashboard has not been updated since then.
The county’s health department also opened a new testing site at the Temple Hills Community Center last week, according to a press release. Tests are free regardless of immigration status or insurance coverage and are available Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on a walk-in basis.
