County officials authorized the ban last week, citing upticks in infections, hospitalizations and deaths attributable to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited a link between indoor dining and the spread of the disease.
With more than 900,000 residents, Prince George’s County is the second most populous jurisdiction in Maryland and has recorded more COVID-19 cases 51,462 as of Wednesday than any other county or municipality.
The lawsuit was one of three filed last week by the Restaurant Association of Maryland and nearly 100 restaurants statewide challenging dining restrictions implemented by local officials.
The businesses joined forces seeking to reverse recent bans on indoor dining in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, and a ban on indoor and outdoor dining in the city of Baltimore.
Indoor dining still banned in Prince George s, Montgomery counties after judges rulings
By Lindsay Watts , FOX 5 DC Digital Team and Sierra Fox
Published
Judge upholds Prince George’s County indoor dining ban
Indoor dining will stay closed in Prince George s County after a judge denied the Restaurant Association of Maryland s request to issue a temporary restraining order to permit restaurants to reopen indoor dining.
BOWIE, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Indoor dining will stay closed in Prince George s County and Montgomery County after two judges denied the Restaurant Association of Maryland s request to issue a temporary restraining order to permit restaurants to reopen indoor dining on Wednesday.
Maryland judge upholds county dining ban; leaders ask Hogan to use reserves for pandemic relief
Rachel Chason, Rebecca Tan and Patricia Sullivan, The Washington Post
Dec. 23, 2020
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After a 12-hour hearing, a Maryland judge upheld a ban on indoor dining in Montgomery County late Wednesday night, agreeing with a judge in neighboring Prince George s County who made a similar ruling earlier in the day.
Their verdicts came as coronavirus cases continued to surge across the region and Democratic lawmakers and officials urged Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, to tap reserve funds for pandemic relief. The county council, the county executive are trying to protect this community from death and from the virus, Montgomery County Circuit Judge James Bonifant said in his concluding remarks. I believe that standard is clear, and I believe that they are doing the best they can.
Maryland Restaurant Association sues to roll back bans on indoor dining
Rachel Chason, The Washington Post
Dec. 18, 2020
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Restaurant-goers peruse the menu while dining in at Tsunami Ramen and Tapas in Frederick, Md., in December.Washington Post photo by Katherine Frey.
The Restaurant Association of Maryland announced lawsuits Friday against Montgomery County, Prince George s County and Baltimore City in an attempt to roll back coronavirus-related bans on different types of restaurant dining in those jurisdictions.
Association president Marshall Weston said the bans on indoor dining in Montgomery and Prince George s and on indoor and outdoor dining in Baltimore City have led to layoffs and furloughs amid the Christmas holiday season. He said too many restaurant employees are being asked to accept the grossly unfair burden of losing their jobs in the hopes of stopping the spread of covid.