Dear Friends,
As I wrote in my last update, Marc's Message 5.18.20, the Executive Order that I issued, and the Council approved, extended the Stay-at-Home order for Montgomery County. This came after Governor Hogan lifted the statewide Stay-at-Home order on May 15. In lifting the statewide order, the Governor acknowledged that individual jurisdictions might need to maintain the stay-at-home order. This is the case in Montgomery County. So now, people are asking, “When will the County’s Stay-at-Home order be lifted?” Although I can’t give you a definite date, I can tell you how we’re making the decision. First and foremost, it will be in consultation with the County’s Health Officer, Dr. Travis Gayles, and it will be based on science, data and public health. We have placed a COVID-19 Data Dashboard on our COVID-19 webpage. Here you will see the criteria that we are reviewing and monitoring, which includes testing and contact tracing capacity. It also includes the number of new cases, the number of deaths, hospitalizations, visits to the emergency room, patients in the intensive care units, and the percentage of ventilators in use. Additionally, we must collect data by race, gender, age and geographic location so that our policies and practices are reaching the people we need to reach. We are reviewing this information and we are talking with our colleagues in neighboring jurisdictions. We want to get this right, and we want to acknowledge the reality that we do not operate in a vacuum; we have other jurisdictions around us.
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 While we are not reopening tomorrow, we are making progress. We are actively considering lifting at least some restrictions soon. Please visit the Dashboard for more information about the measures. Please keep following the guidelines and get out in the fresh air when you can.
I am, as always, appreciative of your understanding and support.
 Marc Elrich, County Executive
 All of us are really focused on COVID-19 right now, but we can’t lose sight of two other issues that will also have a significant impact on our community: our primary election and the Census.
The primary has been changed to a mail-in election. If you do not have a ballot by now, please reach out to the Board of Elections. You can check to see if you are registered to vote by texting the word “check” to 77788. The primary election date has been changed to June 2, but the ballot you will receive reads April 28.
If you haven’t filled out the Census, please do so immediately. The Census impacts how much federal funding the State of Maryland will receive. Every Marylander not counted costs the State $18,000 per person over the next decade. It’s safe, private, and secure and can be done online, through the mail, or over the phone. For more information you can visit the Census website.
 As we head into the long, holiday weekend, Montgomery County's Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles talks about how we should approach the unofficial start of summer so we can remain safe, healthy, and further prevent the spread of COVID-19.
 For essential workers, childcare is an absolute necessity. This week, Montgomery County began distributing cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and cloth masks to licensed childcare providers who care for the children of our frontline workers. Many brought their own empty bottles for refills of hand sanitizer, which our Medical Reserve Corps volunteers were happy to fill. Dozens of childcare providers, like Childway Early Learning Center in Burtonsville, stopped by for supplies. We thank them for their dedication to keeping our frontline workers and their children safe!
Donations of cleaning supplies, cloth masks and other personal protective equipment are essential to helping the County ensure our providers can meet this crucial need in a safe, clean environment. If you have items to donate, please fill out this form so we can arrange to safely collect your donations. Thank you!
 Montgomery County health officials announced that public and private community pools will not open Memorial Day weekend for the traditional start of summer, due to COVID-19 restrictions. This move is being made to keep patrons and employees safe and healthy. Restrictions apply to pools operated by Montgomery County Recreation, as well as apartment and homeowner association pools, and private clubs.
“We know that many in the community equate pool openings with the official start of the summer season, but ongoing COVID-19 restrictions make it impossible to safely open so that swimmers and employees are protected from the virus,” said County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles.
Indoor pools remain closed. When pools reopen, patrons can expect to see new procedures in place to ensure the safety of everyone.
 Put the “count” in Montgomery County! Be sure to complete the Census online, by phone, or by mail. It’s safe, confidential, easy, and important. #2020Census #EveryoneCountsMCMD
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