Vaccine Mandate For Restaurants, Some Indoor MOCO Venues Proposed

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — A vaccine requirement for customers at restaurants, entertainment venues, gyms and more was debated at a Tuesday meeting of the County Council sitting as the Board of Health. The measure was formally introduced at the meeting, and council members had a few main questions about the potential order.

Washington, D.C.’s vaccine mandate, which the Montgomery County proposal mirrors in several ways, goes into effect on Jan. 15 for restaurants, nightclubs, indoor entertainment venues, indoor exercise establishments, and indoor meeting halls.

Montgomery County’s mask mandate is currently in effect until at least Jan. 31. Read the full Montgomery County proposal here.

What would the intended result of the mandate be?

Council members asked if the purpose of the mandate is to encourage people to get vaccinated, to lower transmission, or some other metric. Council President Gabe Albnornoz noted that it would be important for that goal to be clear, so that if the mandate does go into effect there is a way they can measure its success.

How are the establishments included in the order decided?

Acting Chief Health Officer Earl Stoddard said there are a few primary factors when deciding where the vaccine mandate will be enforced. The first is anywhere where masks cannot reasonably be worn, such as restaurants. Another would be locations where mask enforcement has been traditionally difficult, such as fitness centers. Stoddard said exercising and wearing a mask can be difficult for many people, and has led to the mask mandate being ignored in some instances.

Places of worship, pharmacies, libraries and more were left out of the requirement because it is important to not cut people off from services that they need if they are not vaccinated, said Silvia Kinch, chief of Montgomery County’s Division of Labor Relations and Public Safety.

How will it be enforced?

Customers will be asked to show their vaccine card to workers at the restaurant, concert venue, or another area where the mandate is in effect. There is not currently any plan for an app or other technology to enforce the mandate.

Some council members brought up concerns about people claiming exemptions, and asked if the mandate could potentially put the burden on workers to be able to decipher if a person is being truthful about being exempt from getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Businesses would be asked to make reasonable accommodations for anyone who is determined to be exempt from getting the vaccine, Stoddard said — though having an exemption would not mean that those customers would have the same access as vaccinated customers. In the case of an unvaccinated person going to a restaurant, for example, they might not be able to sit inside but would be permitted to eat outside or go inside with a mask to get a takeout order, said Kinch.

What will the vaccine requirement be?

The proposal currently mirrors Washington, D.C.’s proposal, which states that a fully vaccinated person has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. The Montgomery County proposal has the mandate begin in waves, with the first dose required by Jan. 22 and the second dose required by Feb. 15.

Albnoroz pointed out that the order feels a bit outdated without the inclusion of a booster shot requirement.

“That is something we’re going to have to note,” said Albornoz. “Otherwise this is just a
symbolic gesture at best and not one that actually has true public health validity or efficacy.”

The booster shot requirement could be added to the proposal, said Stoddard. They didn’t initially include it so that it would have some congruence with the D.C. proposal, but he said he believes it to be a worthwhile addition, though it could add some complexity for workers at restaurants and other venues who need to determine if someone is eligible for a booster.

In Maryland, all people 18 and older are eligible to get a booster shot either 5 months after their second Pfizer or Moderna shot or two months after getting the Johnson and Johnson Shot. Marylanders 12 to 17 are only eligible to receive a booster if they got their second Pfizer shot at least five months ago.

What happens next?

Tuesday’s meeting was just an introduction of the proposal. A work session where stakeholders can offer their input and opinions will be scheduled, Albornoz said.

This article originally appeared on the Rockville Patch