Adult entertainment business owners protest COVID-19 restrictions in Baltimore

JENNIFER: AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE A DECLINE OF CORONAVIRUS CASES IN MARYLAND, BALTIMORE CITY IS GETTING READY TO EASE RESTRICTIONS NEXT WEEK. JOINING US WITH MORE, BALTIMORE CITY MAY BRANDON SCOTT. WELCOME, MAYOR. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS RELAXING COME MONDAY. >> LISTEN, WE ARE SEEING A VERY GOOD NUMBERS HERE IN THE CITY. WE’RE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC. WE REMOVING THE ONE-HOUR LIMIT FOR RESTAURANTS AND BARS. WE’RE ALSO REMOVING — WE’VE BEEN ADHERING TO A STRICT TEN-PERSON INDOOR GATHERING. THOSE LIMITS ARE REMOVED AND GATHERINGS MUST COMPLY WITH RELEVANT OCCUPANCY BASED UPON THE SPACE IN WHICH THEY ARE. WE’LL STILL BE AT 25% MAX CAPACITY FOR INDOOR, OUTDOOR DINING WILL BE ANOTHER 50%. FOLKS MUST HAVE A SIGN IN, SIGN OUT SHEET. GYM GLASSES WILL BE AT 25% OR TEN PEOPLE, WHICHEVER IS HIGHER. LIVE PERFORMANCES AS LONG AS THE PERFORMERS WEAR MASKS AND ORGANIZED SPORTING EVENTS LIKE HIGH SCHOOL, YOUTH RECREATION, CLINICS, THEY CAN RESUME WITH GUIDANCE THROUGH RECREATION AND PARKS. BUT WE DO NOT — WE DO NOT WANT FOLKS TO TAKE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE RECKLESS. WE STILL HAVE RESTRICTIONS THAT YOU KNOW BUT THIS IS NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOLKS TO BE RECKLESS. WE HAVE THE LOWEST POSITIVITY RATE IN THE STATE BECAUSE OF HOW WE HAVE BEEN GOING ABOUT OUR BUSINESS AND BEEN RESPONSIBLE AT THE CITY. WE WANT FOLKS TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW COVID-19 IS STILL KILLING PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. >> MR. MAYOR, TALK ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THE CITY’S POSITIVITY RATE IS ABOUT A FULL PERCENTAGE RATE LOWER THAN BALTIMORE COUNTY AND ALMOST HALF THE STATE’S POSITIVITY RATE. SO WHEN DO YOU SEE EASING UP RESTRICTIONS ON RESTAURANTS AND ALLOWING 50% FOR INDOOR CAPACITY? >> WELL, WE’RE GOING TO SEE. LISTEN, WE ARE EASING — DOING A LOT OF EASING AT THIS TIME. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS WE’LL BE MONITORING THE DATA OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO SEE HOW EASING RESTRICTIONS AFFECT THE POSITIVITY RATE AND OUR HOSPITALIZATION RATE WHEN WE’RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WE’LL REMOVE THEM. WE’RE DOING THINGS IN THE SAFE ORDER SO WE CAN LEAD THE WAY IN HAVING THE FEWEST AMOUNT OF INCIDENTS HAPPENING IN OUR CITY. >> SOMEONE WANTED TO KNOW WHEN CHURCH ATTENDANCE MIGHT INCREASE TO 50%. DO YOU THINK THAT WILL GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE RESTAURANT RESTRICTIONS? >> I THINK LIT GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE DATA. IT WILL GO HAND IN HAND WITH THE DATA. BUT FOLKS ARE ANXIOUS TO GET BACK T THEIR RELATION YUS FACILITIES IN A TRADITIONAL SENSE. I ALSO KNOW FROM TALKING TO MANY OF OUR PASTORS AND LEADERS IN OUR CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUES AND MOSQUES IN THE CITY THAT THEY ALL ARE ALSO VERY CAUTIOUS AND ARE THINKING ABOUT HOW THEY CAN BRING PEOPLE BACK. BUT DOING IT IN A SAFE WAY AND HAVE PEOPLE WORSHIP VIRTUALLY AND OTHER WAYS TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE KEEPING THEIR CONSTITUENCY HEALTHY. >> A LOT OF FOCUS HAS BEEN ON VACCINE DISTRIBUTION HOW DO YOU FEEL IT’S GOING IN THE CITY? >> DISTRIBUTION HAS NOT BEEN THE PROBLEM. WE KNOW WHERE THE PROBLEM IS. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE HERE IN THE STATE OR THE COUNTRY. YOU KNOW I’VE HAD FRUSTRATIONS. COUNTY EXECUTIVES FROM AROUND THE STATE, AROUND HOW THE ROLL JOUD HAS HAPPENED IN MARYLAND. WE ASKED FOR THE ABILITY TO SEE HOW FURTHER IN ADVANCE WE’RE GETTING IT. WE DID GET THAT. WE’VE HAD SYSTEM ISSUES WITH THE STATE’S PREP MOD SYSTEM THAT BASICALLY WAS [INDISCERNIBLE] IN HOW THIS WAS WORKING. WE’RE GETTING CHANGES AND VERY HOPEFUL AND PLEASED WITH THE FOCUSED FROM PRESIDENT BIDEN AND VICE PRESIDENT HEIRS. I WAS ON THE CALL WITH VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS LAST WEEK. THEY’RE LOOKING TO GET MORE VACCINE OUT AND HELP CITIES THEY KNOW ARE STRUGGLING BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND WE’RE HOPEFUL FOR THAT AS WELL. JENNIFER: THERE’S BEEN AN OUTREACH PROGRAM IN BALTIMORE CITY TO REACH SENIORS AND THE UNDERSERVED POPULATION. HOW DO YOU ON A THINK IT’S GOING. >> THE MOBILE STRATEGY HAS BEEN GOING WELL. THEY CAN REACH PEOPLE. THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE HERE IS THAT WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH VACCINE. WE’RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH VACCINE TO GIVE OUT AND THAT’S WHERE YOUR FOCUS HAS TO BE. BECAUSE WE CANNOT — WE CAN HAVE THE GREATEST PARTNERSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITY GROUPS, WITH OUR HEALTH PARTNERS, WITH EVERYONE. BUT IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE SUPPLY, IT DOESN’T MATTER. SO WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT. WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THE MESSAGE OF WHY PEOPLE NEED TO GET THE VACCINE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE’LL CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE TO HAVE MORE VACCINE COME TO THE CITY THROUGH THE MASS VACCINATION SITES THAT ARE HERE. WE BELIEVE 50% OF THE PEOPLE GETTING VACCINES SHOULD BE FROM BALTIMORE BUT ALSO THROUGH COMING DOWN THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THROUGH THE STATE TO US SO WE CAN HAVE A MORE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINE IN BALTIMORE AND ACROSS OUR STATE BECAUSE WE KNOW RIGHT NOW, THE SYSTEM IS NOT EQUITABLE. THAT’S WHAT WE’LL CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR JENNIFER: BALTIMORE CITY WILL SOON HAVE THE SECOND MASS VACCINATION SITE OPENING THIS WEEK. WHAT GOOD IS IT TO HAVE THE SITES? IT WILL BE GOOD IF WE HAVE THE SUPPLY. >> WE KNOW THE SUPPLY CHAIN THIS WEEK HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY THE WEATHER THAT HAPPENED? >> THE SOUTH. BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE THE SUPPLY AND ALSO, IF A MASS VAX SITE IS IN BALTIMORE CITY, THEY SHOULD BE DEDICATED 50% OF THOSE DOSES TO FOLKS WHO LIVE IN BALTIMORE CITY AND I WILL SAY THE SAME FOR PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS AS WELL. >> ORIOLES STARTED SPRING TRAINING. OPENING DAY NOT TOO FAR AWAY. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TALKS GOING ON TO MAKE SURE POSSIBLY FANS COULD SEE A FEW GAMES THIS SPRING? >> WELL, WE’LL SEE. WE WILL SEE. WE’LL BE TALKING WITH THEM. I KNOW THE ORIOLES WILL BE TALKING WITH MLB FIRST TO SEE HOW THE LEG WANTS TO HANDLE IT MOVING FORWARD FIRST, AND THEN WE’LL BE MAKING DECISIONS AND TALKING AROUND, AGAIN, THE SCIENCE, DATA, WHERE WE ARE A A CITY. THERE’S NOTHING MORE THAN I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE OUR ORIOLES CONTINUE TO REBUILD TOWARDS OUR PROMINENCE. OPENING DAY HAPPENS TO BE ON MY BIRTHDAY THIS YEAR. WE’RE GOING TO BE VERY RESPONSIBLE MAKING SURE THAT OUR TEAM CAN PLAY BUT ALSO THAT WE’RE KEEPING PEOPLE HEALTHY AND SAFE, WHICH IS SOMETHING I KNOW THE ORIOLES PUT A

Grownup leisure trade protests COVID-19 restrictions

Up to date: 1:00 PM EST Feb 22, 2021

House owners of grownup leisure institutions in Baltimore are protesting COVID-19 restrictions that mandate the continued closure of their companies.The house owners pointed to the mayor’s order that took impact Monday, saying their companies weren’t permitted to open whereas others had been. “It is a deeply unfair transfer, in our view,” an unnamed spokesperson for grownup leisure enterprise house owners in Baltimore stated in a press release launched by the trade. “We’re being selectively focused to remain closed. When you can open a fitness center or placed on a stage present, you possibly can have a gentleman’s membership open. There’s another agenda at work right here, and it’s extremely insensitive to the not inconsequential quantity of people that make their livings by means of the grownup leisure trade.”The assertion pointed to the employees, along with the entertainers, who rely upon the trade to outlive, together with cooks, bartenders, janitors, safety guards and constructing tradespeople.In line with the assertion, a Baltimore Metropolis Well being Division consultant stated town is following steerage from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention about how COVID-19 is transmitted, saying the suggestions prohibit “actions that deliver teams individuals into shut contact for extended durations of time; actions which are tough to do whereas carrying face coverings and/or social distancing; actions that happen indoors and/or in areas with poor air flow.”The trade spokesperson within the assertion stated: “It is a ridiculous and untenable place. Maybe this particular person has by no means been to an grownup institution. He would possibly see that his issues are fairly ill-founded.”

BALTIMORE —

House owners of grownup leisure institutions in Baltimore are protesting COVID-19 restrictions that mandate the continued closure of their companies.

The house owners pointed to the mayor’s order that took effect Monday, saying their companies weren’t permitted to open whereas others had been.

“It is a deeply unfair transfer, in our view,” an unnamed spokesperson for grownup leisure enterprise house owners in Baltimore stated in a press release launched by the trade. “We’re being selectively focused to remain closed. When you can open a fitness center or placed on a stage present, you possibly can have a gentleman’s membership open. There’s another agenda at work right here, and it’s extremely insensitive to the not inconsequential quantity of people that make their livings by means of the grownup leisure trade.”

The assertion pointed to the employees, along with the entertainers, who rely upon the trade to outlive, together with cooks, bartenders, janitors, safety guards and constructing tradespeople.

In line with the assertion, a Baltimore Metropolis Well being Division consultant stated town is following steerage from the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention about how COVID-19 is transmitted, saying the suggestions prohibit “actions that deliver teams individuals into shut contact for extended durations of time; actions which are tough to do whereas carrying face coverings and/or social distancing; actions that happen indoors and/or in areas with poor air flow.”

The trade spokesperson within the assertion stated: “It is a ridiculous and untenable place. Maybe this particular person has by no means been to an grownup institution. He would possibly see that his issues are fairly ill-founded.”