ROCKVILLE, Md. — In the hours before Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced the lifting of virus restrictions on a wide swath of the state’s economy, Dr. Anthony Fauci was recording a video intended to encourage Montgomery County leaders and residents to keep up the fight.
Fauci, a resident of Montgomery County, said the battle against COVID-19 is not over.
“We are well-positioned to bring this historic pandemic under control if we all just hang on a bit longer,“ Fauci said in the video recorded for the Montgomery County Council. “Now is the time for us to keep the foot on the accelerator with regards to adhering to public health measures such as masking, physical distancing and other measures that we know work.”
Montgomery County Council President Tom Hucker -- who shared Fauci's video with WUSA9-- called the juxtaposition of the doctor's words with the governor's mandate to reopen Maryland businesses without capacity limits "incredibly ironic."
RELATED: Hogan lifts restrictions: Capacity limits removed at Maryland restaurants, bars, stores, churches
Hucker further called Hogan’s call to lift restrictions disappointing.
The governor announced Tuesday that Maryland will keep its mask order in place, but will lift capacity restrictions on bars, restaurants, gyms and churches starting Friday evening. Large venues such as concert halls and stadiums will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity.
Skeptics include Dr. Lynn Goldman, the dean of George Washington Universities Milken Institute of Public Health, who said she worries mutated variants of the virus might get out of control before more vaccinations occur.
“Rates are still higher than they were last summer,” Goldman said. “We still have a lot of transmission of COVID.”
Hogan cited a rapidly accelerating vaccination program and dropping case counts for his decision to relax many statewide restrictions.
Local leaders will have the authority to make their own decisions on restrictions, Hogan said. Hucker said Hogan’s announcement “blindsided” leaders in Montgomery County.
Announcements are expected Thursday from leaders in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties on how they plan to proceed.
Leaders in St. Mary's, Washington and Charles counties are among those who say they will go ahead with the governor’s plan beginning Friday evening.