The new restrictions go into effect on Friday at 5 p.m.

Climbing coronavirus numbers in Baltimore City is forcing the city to add new restrictions for indoor interactions. Beginning on Friday, July 25, at 5 p.m., the city will require anyone over the age of 2 to wear mask when they are in an indoor setting. The city is also rolling back regulations on bars and restaurants, forcing them to close dining rooms and indoor seating. The regulations were introduced in an executive order signed by Baltimore Mayor Jack Young on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. The order comes as the city experiences a 50 percent rise in coronavirus cases in the past week.

Indoor dining has only been allowed in the city for about a month. Restaurants can still serve customers outside, but bars and restaurants without outdoor space will be back to square one. The changes come at the same time officials in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties are asking Governor Logan Hogan to reinstitute regulations on bars, restaurants, and other high traffic businesses. The percentage of cases in Marylanders aged 35 and under, an age group more likely to frequent bars and restaurants, is 85 percent higher than those over 35. 

Courtesy Baltimore City Health Department

The daily percentage of positive cases across the state has risen in the past but still remains under five percent. In an interview with PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff, Hogan said officials are watching the data and were prepared to roll back restrictions if needed. Local counties still have leeway to make adjustments based on case counts in their jurisdictions.

According to a report by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, Maryland added more than 68,300 jobs in June, lowering the unemployment rate to 8 percent, the lowest in the region. Restaurants and bars were hit hardest by the shutdown and additional closures could force some to close permanently.