Prince George's County expanding indoor mask mandate to include children over two

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Prince George’s County announced Wednesday that the county would be expanding its indoor mask mandate to include children ages two to five, effective immediately.

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Residents and visitors over the age of two are required to wear masks in all indoor public venues and businesses in Prince George’s County.

Exceptions exist for eating and drinking, or for those with a bona fide disability that prevents mask-wearing.

"From the outset of this pandemic, we have been focused on policies that support the health and safety of our residents, while also ensuring residents and businesses have the resources they need to get by," said County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. "We want to thank Prince Georgians for working together through this pandemic, because we have shown that we are a strong and resilient community where residents can always count on one another." 

Alsobrooks also provided an update on booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, saying that based on CDC guidance, the county is offering booster shots of the Pfizer vaccine to residents who are 65 and older, residents ages 18-64 with underlying medical conditions and individuals ages 18-64 who work or reside in certain settings that increase their risk of COVID-19 exposure (e.g. health care, schools, grocery workers, correctional facilities, homeless shelters). 

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The county is also offering third doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to residents who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, based on guidance from the CDC. 

According to the CDC, over 82% of adults in the county have received at least one dose of a vaccine, and 72% of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.