BALTIMORE — Baltimore will lift its indoor masking requirement next week as the number of coronavirus cases continues to decline in the city.
Effective March 1, masks will no longer be required in indoor spaces, both public and private across the city, Mayor Brandon Scott announced Thursday.
The move marks the end of a seven-month stretch when the mask mandate was in place in the city, which has enacted more restrictive coronavirus protection measures than surrounding jurisdictions and the state.
As of Thursday, the city’s seven-day average case rate was about 18.37 cases per 100,000 residents — well below the 58 per 100,000 in August when the mandate was enacted. Baltimore’s seven-day positivity rate stands at 2.03%. Nearly 76.8% of city residents 12 and over have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Baltimore’s decision to lift the masking restriction comes well after many surrounding jurisdictions removed their indoor masking policies enacted during a post-holiday surge of the omicron variant. Anne Arundel, Howard and Baltimore County’s orders expired at the end of January.
Earlier this week, Gov. Larry Hogan lifted a mask requirement for workers and visitors in state buildings. Masks continue to be “strongly recommended” in state buildings for those who are unvaccinated against the coronavirus.
On Tuesday, the Maryland State Board of Education voted to rescind an emergency regulation mandating the use of face masks in schools, sending the decision to state lawmakers for final approval.
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