COVID-19 Update: Modified Phase 1 Reopening for Prince George’s County on Monday, June 1
Dear Prince Georgians:
Yesterday I announced that on Monday, June 1, 2020, the Stay-At-Home Order will be lifted for Prince George’s County and we will begin a modified phase one reopening. I made this decision under the advice of public health officials and the data that the County has been monitoring, including continued downward trends in the number of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations.
While this means some restrictions will be lifted for Prince George’s County, I want everyone to know that this virus is still in our community. We must continue to practice social distancing, wear face coverings in all stores and on public transportation, and practice good personal hygiene to ensure we don’t see a spike in our numbers. I’m urging everyone to use good judgment and continue to stay home as much as possible, because if we are cavalier during this reopening, we could be back to square one.
As part of the modified phase one reopening, certain businesses and services will be able to reopen in Prince George’s County with modifications to ensure the health and safety of employees and residents. The modified phase one reopening will include the following:
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Retail stores will be able to open with curbside pickup only.
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Manufacturing will reopen, following CDC guidelines.
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Barbershops and hair salons will be allowed to open for hair services only and by appointment only, with one customer per 200 square feet and use of PPE. This includes face masks and gloves for all employees. Customers must also wear masks, and shops must have appropriate floor markings to create adequate social distancing.
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Restaurants may open with outside seating only. There can be no more than 6 people seated at a table, tables must be at least six feet apart, and no more than 50 people will be allowed at any outdoor restaurant establishment regardless of space. Employees must receive health screenings prior to their shifts, and all employees must wear face coverings.
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Houses of worship can open for gatherings of 10 people or less. Otherwise, they must maintain online services only.
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Farmer’s markets will be able to open for carryout only, maintaining proper social distancing and following CDC guidelines.
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Childcare facilities will be able to open for essential employees and for employees who are returning to work as part of the modified phase one.
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Car washes may open with automated systems, but drivers and passengers must stay inside of the vehicles at all times.
In addition, some restrictions and openings currently in place will remain. Parks, along with their golf courses and tennis courts, will remain open, with appropriate social distancing measures in place. Basketball courts, playgrounds and pools will remain closed. Fitness facilities and nail salons will remain closed. Contact sports such as basketball and soccer are not permitted. Residents and visitors must continue to wear face coverings inside all businesses and on public transportation, and businesses must continue to enforce social distancing.
For County Government, buildings will remain closed to the public and employees will continue to telework. The County Government is still open and operational, adding a number of virtual services in our agencies to ensure that we can still serve our residents. Our entire Executive Order outlining the modified phase one reopening is available here.
Yesterday I was also proud to announce the formation of the Prince George’s Forward Task Force, which is charged with combining new data with expertise to provide well-reasoned recommendations on how the County should deal with the pandemic moving forward. While the Task Force will generate a final report, recommendations will be developed and implemented in real time to maximize the benefit to residents.
The Task Force will be co-chaired by Dr. Charlene Dukes, President of Prince George’s Community College, and William Von Hoene, Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer of Exelon. Over 40 policy and subject-matter experts from Prince George’s County and across the State of Maryland are currently part of this Task Force. They will have five key focus areas managed by various subcommittees, which include:
- Economic Development Subcommittee: Chaired by Thomas Graham, founder of TH Graham and Associates.
- Education Subcommittee: Chaired by Dr. Darryl Pines, President of the University of Maryland, College Park.
- Health Subcommittee: Chaired by Dr. Joseph Wright, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of the University of Maryland Capital Region Health.
- Human Services Subcommittee: Chaired by Rosie Allen-Herring, President and CEO of the United Way of the National Capital Area.
- Government Operations Subcommittee: Chaired by former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.
The Prince George’s Forward Task Force will assist us in managing our reopening and recovery. Our goal is to not just get back to where we were before this pandemic, but to build an even stronger Prince George’s County through our recovery efforts. We will provide updates to the community on this Task Force through our Coronavirus webpage at health.mypgc.us/coronavirus.
Finally, I understand that some of you may be concerned about this reopening. However, I want to stress that this decision was not made lightly, and was based on science and the advice of our public health officials. Last week, we successfully hit our goal of testing more than 9,000 residents per week. We are also seeing a continued downward trend in our total number of positive cases. Last week 1,927 residents tested positive for COVID-19, down from our high which was 2,370 for the week of April 26.
Three weeks ago, over 70 residents a week were dying from COVID-19. Last week, 38 residents died from COVID-19. For hospitalizations, on May 9, we had 262 COVID positive patients in our hospital. We have seen a decrease since then and we have stayed below 200 patients for more than a week. We are committed to being transparent with all the data we use to make our decisions, which is why we have updated our COVID-19 dashboard. You can view all of these data and trends online by clicking here.
Prince Georgians, these last few months have held unbelievable hardship. Unlike other crises, the pandemic hides that hardship, because at one time or another, all of us have felt isolated. However, our County is moving toward a new chapter. As we move toward reopening, it is important to remember that COVID-19 is still with us, but also that it will not have the final say. We must continue to stay vigilant and look out for each other, because together, we can overcome this crisis and build a stronger Prince George’s.
Yours in service,
Angela Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive
Prince George’s County Grocery Distributions
 Through a partnership between the County Executive’s Office, the County Council and the Capital Area Food Bank, groceries to go will be distributed on Fridays at 12:30 PM at various locations throughout Prince George’s County. Today’s grocery location sites are:
- Beltsville Seventh-Day Adventist Church – 4220 Ammendale Road, Beltsville, MD
- Community of Hope A.M.E. Church – 3737 Branch Avenue, Temple Hills, MD
- Mount Ennon Baptist Church – 9832 Piscataway Road, Clinton, MD
- Reid Temple A.M.E. Church – 11400 Glenn Dale Boulevard, Glenn Dale, MD
- Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church – 410 Addison Road South, Capitol Heights, MD
- Turner Memorial A.M.E. Church – 7201 16th Place, Hyattsville, MD
Follow us on social media (@CEXAlsobrooks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for the latest updates on these grocery distributions.
Kevin Durant Charity Foundation Community Food Distribution
 Join us this Saturday, May 30 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM as we partner with the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation and Council Member Calvin Hawkins to host a community food giveaway at Bishop McNamara High School. We want to send a special thank you to Kevin Durant and his mother, Wanda Durant for their continued support of our community and their willingness to give back.
For more information on food pantries and distribution sites operating throughout Prince George’s County, please click here. This list is updated as the County receives the most up-to-date information.
PGCPS eGraduation
 PGCPS will host a virtual graduation celebration in honor of the Class of 2020 this Saturday, May 30, 2020 at 7:00 PM. The commencement address will be given by Oxon Hill High School alum Taraji P. Henson!
You can watch the graduation ceremony on WJLA 24/7 News (Comcast 808, FiOS 508, DirecTV/Dish 8) and Charge (Over-the-Air Channel 7.2). A replay is scheduled for the following day, Sunday, May 31, at noon on ABC7. The event will also be streamed live on the PGCPS website and Facebook page. Simultaneous Spanish audio of the celebration will be available during the airing on May 30. Listen in at that time by calling 508-924-5155. The celebration will be archived on the PGCPS YouTube channel and will air on PGCPS-TV (Comcast 96, Verizon 38) at a later date.
COVID-19 Testing
 We are offering free COVID-19 testing for residents, regardless of health insurance coverage. Testing is by appointment only at our Health Department’s clinic in Cheverly. A testing site will open at the Rollingcrest-Chillum Community Center by Monday, June 1, and additional sites will open across the County over the next two weeks. If you are feeling sick and think you may need to be tested for COVID-19, call our hotline at 301-883-6627 for screening. The hotline is available from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM daily. For more information, please click here.
CVS Health is now offering drive-thru testing at certain pharmacies, including six in Prince George’s County. To learn more about their initiative and to find locations, click here.
June 2 Election Reminder
 The primary election is June 2, 2020. We are strongly encouraging residents to vote by mail. Voters should have received their ballots in the mail. Postage is pre-paid, so after completing the ballot and signing the voter oath, you can place it back into the mailbox. There are also five ballot drop box locations throughout the County for voters to drop their completed ballots:
- Bowie Gymnasium – 4100 Northview Drive, Bowie, MD
- College Park Community Center – 5051 Pierce Avenue, College Park, MD
- Kentland Community Center – 2413 Pinebrook Avenue, Landover, MD
- Southern Regional Technology & Recreation Complex – 7007 Bock Road, Fort Washington, MD
- Prince George’s County Board of Elections Office – 1100 Mercantile Lane, Suite 115A, Largo, MD
Ballots must be postmarked by June 2 or must be in the drop box by 8:00 PM on June 2. In addition, limited in-person voting will be available on June 2. There will be four Election Day Vote Centers open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, which include Bowie Gymnasium, College Park Community Center, Kentland Community Center, and the Southern Regional Technology & Recreation Complex.
If you are a registered voter and have not yet received your ballot, contact our local Board of Elections at 301-341-7300 or election@co.pg.md.us. If you were one of the affected voters who only received instructions in Spanish and still have not received the instructions in English in the mail, you can access those instructions online here.
Shop for Groceries Online Using Your SNAP Benefits
 Beginning Thursday, May 28, 2020, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can use their EBT card to shop for fresh produce and groceries online. The following stores are participating in the Maryland area: Amazon, Walmart, and ShopRite. For more information, visit www.mydhrbenefits.dhr.state.md.us or call 1-800-332-6347.
Help Us Improve Our Public Transportation System
 Do you want to have a say in how to improve the County’s transportation system? Our Department of Public Works and Transportation has launched an online survey to get your feedback. We want to learn about your experiences with traveling on our public transportation system, as well as address any concerns you may have. Let us know your thoughts on the future of transportation in Prince George’s County. Click here to complete the short survey by June 15, 2020. This information will be used to further support the improvement of our public transportation system.
100 Events of Summer: A Virtual Summer Series
 Our Office of Community Relations is hosting its annual 100 Events of Summer series virtually! They will be hosting and featuring a variety of fun events and activities throughout the summer. Follow them on Instagram (@pgc_communityrelations) or Twitter (@PGCCommunity) for more information.
Office of Information Technology Updates
 The Office of Information Technology (OIT) continues to implement technology and digital solutions to enable the County to perform its services virtually. OIT is now able to conduct Cable Television Commission meetings virtually. The Cable Television Commission staff continues to work diligently on behalf of the residents of Prince George’s County to facilitate problem resolution with our cable television providers. We encourage residents to contact us for assistance at 301-952-3990, email Cablecommission@co.pg.md.us or visit our website.
OIT has established an electronic signature standard in the County utilizing Adobe Sign. This solution provides a legal, secure way to get critical documents signed from anywhere to keep business moving and improve digital efficiencies.
In response to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on County Government operations and to ensure technology learning is available remotely, OIT is offering virtual training opportunities designed to increase the knowledge, skills and competencies of County employees to effectively use OIT systems. Our goal is to ensure that the County Government can continue to provide quality services and resources virtually to our residents.
Prince George’s County Receives Large Face Mask Donation
 Our Office of Community Relations received a donation of 8,000 face masks from a number of regional/global partners.
The United States China Association of Commerce, the American Chinese Culinary Federation at Greater Capital Area, and the US Zhangzhou Association, Inc. donated more than 8,000 FDA approved surgical masks to the County’s COVID-19 efforts. These masks will benefit our first responders and community stakeholders as they work to keep our community safe during this unprecedented time. We are thankful for their partnership and support of our County and our efforts to keep Prince Georgians safe.
Proud to be Counted
 Prince George’s County is continuing to increase our completion rate for the 2020 Census! Our goal is to ensure that each and every resident is counted. You can complete your Census by phone at 844-330-2020, online at www.my2020Census.gov or by mail. It only takes 10 minutes. Encourage your friends and family to complete their Census, too. Let’s show everyone that Prince George’s County is Proud to be Counted!
 Did you know all of our infographics and fact sheets related to COVID-19 are available online? To access all of the resources we have shared during this pandemic, please click here.
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