Ocean City, Maryland's Restaurant Association Executive Director Says Industry Is 'Being Unfairly Targeted'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- In less than 24 hours, both Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City will place new restrictions on indoor dining, but some are fighting attempts at a statewide ban.
Susan Jones of the Ocean City Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Association is among them.
"The restaurant industry is 100% being unfairly targeted. We are being held to different expectations than other operators," Jones told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren. "Going backwards and closing indoor dining would be devastating to our economy—especially here in Ocean City—because we have 225 restaurant licenses. Tourism is our only economy and restaurants are a huge part of that."
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The resort town has seen several restaurants close after staff have tested positive. Jones said restaurateurs have gone above and beyond requirements.
"If there is one case or two cases, operators have said, 'Ok, I am putting the brakes on. I am going to close to have the entire restaurant tested. I'm going to disinfect,' and that's not something that they are required to do. They are only required to close if they are not following any guidelines or they have a massive outbreak. But the one or two cases is not a massive outbreak."
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Jones said it is crucial for customers to wear masks but noted that has been difficult. "It has been a huge struggle. We are a resort town. People want to relax and have a vacation, and we encourage them to do that. But sometimes they may think we are a COVID-free zone, and we are not," she said.
"Restricting indoor dining is not going to do anything to stop the spread. It has to be personal will and personal responsibility that will stop the spread."
The Mayor of Ocean City told WJZ in a statement Thursday there are no plans to restrict indoor dining.
"…although Worcester County has seen an increase in per capita cases compared to the state this month, some of that is likely due to expanded testing locally. Most restaurants that recently closed in Ocean City did so voluntarily, and we have no plans at this time to change or rollback any restrictions. We instead want to continue to stress the importance of remaining vigilant, wearing masks in public, practicing physical distancing, washing your hands and taking personal responsibility to help slow the spread of COVID-19," Mayor Rick Meehan wrote.
The situation is different in central Maryland. Baltimore City will shut down indoor dining and bar service Friday at 5 p.m. The city health commissioner said the average daily number of new cases has more than doubled since the beginning of the month.
The rising number of coronavirus cases in Baltimore and eleven other cities has drawn the concern of Dr. Deborah Birx, the head of President Trump's Coronavirus Task Force.
The Center for Public Integrity released audio of a private phone call Dr. Birx made to health officials from local jurisdictions across the country.
"…a lot of people are talking about increases now in Baltimore, so it's just really critical that everybody is following this and making sure they're being aggressive about mitigation efforts," Dr. Birx said on the call. Birx stressed the need to act quickly. "If you wait another three or four or five days, you'll start to see a dramatic increase in cases," she said.
She also spoke about indoor dining and bars. "We also had evidence that came out through modeling on the critical role of masks—100% of people in masks, closing bars, decreasing indoor dining significantly," Dr. Birx said.
Starting Friday evening, Anne Arundel County will also restrict indoor dining and bar service—shutting it down after 10pm and adding a $500 fine for first-time violators.
Baltimore County's Executive Johnny Olszewski said earlier this week, he would not rollback restrictions because he believes local rollbacks will not be effective unless there's a statewide mandate. He called on Governor Hogan to close all indoor dining until cases are under control.
Health officials in Maryland's most populous counties have also pushed the governor to shut down indoor dining statewide.
That is something the governor says he will not do at this point. Hogan has called for stricter enforcement and for citizens to wear masks.
On Thursday, a new mask order went into effect in Baltimore County.
On Friday, a new mask order will go into effect in Baltimore City that requires masks for anyone two and older indoors. It also mandates people wear masks outside when they cannot socially distance.
Anne Arundel County has a similar mask order that is already in effect.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
