 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is urging residents to be patient as they attempt to get appointments for COVID-19 vaccines. Although many people are ready to get vaccines, right now, the number of available doses continues to be far less than the demand. However, there is optimism that more vaccines will be headed to the County. He also offers good wishes to those who will be celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year.
 Montgomery County restaurants and food service businesses will be allowed to operate with indoor dining at 25 percent capacity starting Sunday, Feb. 14, after County Executive Marc Elrich’s Executive Order 19-21AM was approved by the County Council this week. The County is making progress toward getting vaccinations to the top priority groups. Through Tuesday of this week, more than 22,566 County residents 75 and older have been vaccinated. That is about one-third of the County’s 73,000 residents in that age group.
 The COVID-19 vaccine process is rapidly changing. An update on the vaccination progress in Montgomery County is summarized, with information on how to preregister for a vaccination.
 The Montgomery County Government will observe schedule changes for the Presidents Day holiday, which will be observed on Monday, Feb. 15.
 COVID-19 Deaths by Zip Code, Montgomery County, MD
Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Information Portal provides a variety of breakdowns on how the virus has impacted the County. The statistics are regularly updated to reflect the most recent reports during the health crisis. Among the information available is how many positive cases have been reported in each zip code in the County.
 There are numerous ways to get tested for COVID-19 in Montgomery County. The County operates dozens of clinics most weeks and rotates the locations to make testing easily accessible for residents in all parts of the County. In addition, there are many privately operated testing programs.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has released the Reimagining Public Safety (RPS) Task Force Recommendations Report. The report, which addresses racial and social injustices, outlines 87 recommendations for the County to deliver services in a more equitable manner.
 Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) will celebrate Black History Month with special virtual programs during February.
Programs to celebrate Black History Month and other special February events are being offered by Montgomery Parks, which is part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Free online workshops and one-on-one sessions geared toward assisting job seekers and entrepreneurs will be available throughout February.
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 Montgomery County Recreation will begin offering a limited number of indoor, instructor-led sports and fitness activities at four community recreation centers beginning Tuesday, Feb. 16. The program, RecFit-Limited, is the first in-person recreation program offered at community recreation facilities since last March when the facilities closed due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Registration for spring programs is now open.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) this week began work on the Outer Loop of the Capital Beltway (I-495) with an innovative technique that applies a friction surface treatment to the roadway aimed at reducing tractor trailer crashes. In a research study, MDOT observed the program could produce friction and drainage improvements of about 70 percent.
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The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 17, will hold a virtual information meeting about its upcoming project that will lead to road improvements at the intersection of MD 185 (Connecticut Avenue) at Jones Bridge Road and Kensington Parkway in Chevy Chase.
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 Seraxis, a company in the Montgomery County-supported Germantown Innovation Center (GIC), has announced that it has closed a $40 million Series C funding round led by Indianapolis pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Co. Seraxis is developing a cell therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes. The investment will allow the biotech to complete preclinical studies of its lead cell therapy and advance it to clinical (human) trials.
A flexible, affordable lending program to help small- and medium-sized Montgomery County businesses of 500 or fewer employers is available from the nonprofit Montgomery County Green Bank. Loans from the Green Bank can be used for improvements to indoor air systems that may be needed to reopen businesses that closed due to the COVID-19 health crisis.
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Due to the COVID-19 health crisis and other factors, many permit holders and contractors are experiencing considerable shipping delays. The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Service’s (DPS) residential inspection team is working with permit holders and contractors to minimize setbacks concerning their projects. The biggest challenge with materials seems to concern windows.
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