 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich finds optimism in the battle against COVID-19 as more County residents are receiving vaccinations, but he also has great concerns as the number of positive cases reported also is increasing. In addition, the County Executive comments on an incident that involved a student and County police officers.
 Montgomery County has opened preregistration at County-operated COVID-19 vaccine centers to all County residents 16-and-over. To register for a County-operated center, go to www.GoVaxMoCo.com. More vaccines have become available, so the County has opened a mass vaccination site on the campus of Montgomery College in Germantown.
 Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has directed the County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) to continue free service on all Ride On, Ride On extRa and Flash buses at least through the end of the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30. Throughout the COVID-19 health crisis, MCDOT has been operating its bus operations with fare collections suspended and was one of the first agencies in the country to implement this policy.
 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.
Montgomery County’s annual GreenFest—a celebration of the environment—this year will be a month of free online and in-person events throughout April. The series of activities will include educational workshops, an environmental film festival and family friendly games and scavenger hunts.
 The COVID-19 health crisis has made the past 13 months difficult for residents and businesses of all kinds in Montgomery County. Particularly impacted have been the County’s restaurants. Now, as more people become vaccinated and restrictions are eased, Visit Montgomery and the County’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Services are working on a campaign to increase business at restaurants.
Improving the quality of life of senior residents in Montgomery County, identifying services available to them and how to obtain emergency housing for those in crisis situations are the themes of the latest episode of the “What’s Happening MoCo” podcast. The podcast highlights people and programs important to the residents of Montgomery County.
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 Montgomery County Recreation’s (MCR) Senior Program Team is inviting residents to help advance programming for adults 55 and older by joining a new outreach team. The newly formed group was organized after a series of community listening sessions indicated there was a strong interest in volunteering as senior promoters to assist with the delivery of senior services.
Montgomery County’s Department of Permitting Services has launched a new online educational series for business professionals and homeowners that will update the department's regulations and permit processes. The first of the series covered the topic of sediment control permits. The next session, on Thursday, April 15, will address installation or replacement of fences.
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April is National Alcohol Awareness Month and Montgomery County’s Department of Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) is launching a “Pause Program” in partnership with Brown-Forman, a spirits manufacturer. The program encourages people to momentarily “pause” and make responsible decisions around alcohol, particularly in relation to drinks to-go.
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To celebrate the start of Earth Month, Montgomery County is kicking off a spring #PloggingChallenge from April 1 through June 30. The initiative, led by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in partnership with Montgomery Parks and the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, challenges everyone to “plog”—pick up trash while they jog or walk.
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TCR2 Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage cell therapy company with a pipeline of novel T cell therapies for patients suffering from cancer, has announced that it has signed a long-term, full-building lease in Rockville. The Massachusetts-based company plans to add 175 jobs in the County to support its clinical and commercial production of gavo-cel, with a capacity to treat several thousand cancer patients annually.
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