 Each week continues to be filled with news and changes. In my letter this week, I want to talk about the ongoing issues with COVID-19, the elections, economic development, transportation policy and a recent report from the County’s Office of the Inspector General.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, after consultation with County Health Officer Travis Gayles and based on data, has issued Executive Order 122-20 that reduces capacity limits for businesses, including restaurants and retail establishments. Among the changes in the order are those preventing gatherings from having more than 25 people and limiting certain businesses to 25 percent of capacity. The order was put in place after the number of new COVID-19 cases continued to increase in the County. The provisions of the order went into effect on Nov. 10, after the County Council approved the order.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is now sharing insight to County Government, updates on County programs and making residents aware of upcoming community events on his new official Twitter account. His account also will provide video highlights of events he attends. Follow the County Executive @MontCoExec.
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and the County Council sent a joint letter on Nov. 9 to the Maryland Department of Transportation that again raises concerns about proposals in the State’s I-495 and I-270 Managed Lanes Study Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). County Executive Elrich and the Council reaffirmed the County's support for using the MD-200 Diversion Alternative (the Intercounty Connector) as its preferred alternative for reducing congestion on the eastern portion of I-495. The letter also expressed support for managed lanes on I-270 and the western portion of I-495, where the existing right-of-way is much wider.
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Montgomery County has created a program that will provide grants for independent primary care medical and general dentistry practices that have lost revenue and have incurred re-opening costs related to the COVID-19 health crisis.
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 Montgomery County’s COVID-19 testing program will include 61 free County-operated clinics over the next nine days. Those clinics will be in addition to more than 45 private providers who are continuing to operate testing clinics.
 Montgomery County health officials are urging all residents to get a flu vaccination, with one more County-operated clinic providing shots specifically for children ages 6 months to 18. That clinic will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Dennis Avenue Health Center in Silver Spring.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is asking residents to answer a survey designed to gauge their assessment of the Montgomery County Police Department, its structure, services and funding. The survey is located online at www.RPSsurvey.com. The survey will be open through Saturday, Nov. 14.
 Montgomery County and the Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA) encourage job seekers 50-and-over to join the first Montgomery County Virtual Employment Expo on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Attendees of the free event will be able to network with area employers, attend free workshops and learn new job-search skills from the comfort and safety of their home. Multiple employers with available full-time and part-time salaried job opportunities will participate. The expo will be hosted on Zoom from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 The Montgomery County Commission for Women’s series of “Listening Tours” featuring County elected officials will continue with three additional sessions providing a virtual microphone for women to share how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the current social climate and other concerns. The feedback from the series will help guide the future work of the commission. The final three sessions in the series will be on Monday, Nov. 16; Tuesday, Nov. 17; and Friday, Nov. 20.
The Montgomery County Airpark Liaison Committee at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18, will hold its required annual meeting to receive a report from the County Revenue Authority and to provide a forum for interested parties concerned with the operations of the Airpark.
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 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, County Department of Environmental Protection Director Adam Ortiz, Eric Coffman of Maryland Energy Administration and William Ellis with Pepco will be the lead speakers on Tuesday, Nov. 17, which will be the opening day of the three-day Seventh Annual Montgomery County Energy Summit. The event will be held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 health crisis.
As people spend more and more time online, they increasingly use social media more often to gain a connection with the outside world. The Montgomery County Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) wants social media users to know that scammers are capitalizing on this new trend.
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Sections of the Little Fall Stream Valley Park Trail in Bethesda will be closed this fall due to the planned replacements of two existing pedestrian bridge crossings, near Westmoreland Hills Local Park and Albemarle Drive. The Montgomery Parks project is scheduled to be completed in spring 2021.
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