MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — As more states rolled back mask mandates this week, the director of the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) told WUSA9 on Wednesday that he believed the county's indoor mask requirement would come to an end later this month.
As of now, the countywide indoor mask mandate in Montgomery County is set to expire on February 21.
"I think that’s likely what’s going to happen," said OEMHS director Dr. Earl Stoddard. "At this point, with as many tools as we have, we want to use the measures like the mask mandates and restrictions far less.”
The announcement came the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) faced growing questions on when recommendations to ease mask-wearing may come.
California, Delaware, and New York were among the states that announced decisions this week to lift indoor mask mandates in the future. Other states, like Connecticut and New Jersey, announced that mask mandates would be cut for schools.
However, when pressed by reporters on Wednesday about masking guidelines, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky stood by recommendations to wear a mask.
"Our hospitalizations are still high, our death rates are still high so as we work towards that and are encouraged by the current trends we are not there yet," she said.
Mask mandates still remain in place in D.C. until February 28, in Prince George's County until March 9, and in Montgomery County.
As of Wednesday, both D.C. and Montgomery County showed steep drops in COVID-19 cases over the last several weeks after the omicron led to a surge in the winter.
According to DC Health data, all key metrics monitoring the spread of the deadly virus were listed as "improving" on Wednesday night.
In Montgomery County, data showed that 84.4% of residents were fully vaccinated while 51% had received a booster dose.
On Wednesday, Dr. Stoddard credited the vaccine and other measures for helping to bring the spread of the virus under control but said mask mandates could return if another possible surge ever occurs again.
"We want to use [mask mandates] sparingly during times when we need to preserve the healthcare system. Right now, the healthcare system is coming off of a surge," he said. "This is a point now where we can be more comfortable going out and doing things with our families.”