Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will not be required for Montgomery County, Maryland, council meetings when they resume in person on Tuesday for the first time in two years.
Council President Gabe Albornoz said at the beginning of the month that they were planning on requiring proof of vaccine to enter the chambers.
On Monday, during a news briefing, he said that is no longer the case.
“We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people to be able to testify in a myriad of different ways,” Albornoz said.
He also said it was about consistency.
“You don’t need proof of vaccine to enter into other county buildings and facilities,” he said.
While people can now testify in person after Tuesday, they can also still testify online via Zoom if they prefer.
“We didn’t want to change course once we had already opened up the chambers and so the timing of this was important, too,” Albornoz said. “Maintaining a level of consistency in communication is important.”
Over the past two years, Albornoz said, a record number of people have testified at the county council meetings, and they are keeping a virtual option for testifying permanently in place.
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