Westminster, MD, Tuesday, January 4, 2022 – Today, during a special Open Session, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners voted to follow Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s recent updated COVID-19 guidelines.

Effective immediately, the following guidelines are in place for Carroll County Government:

• Face coverings will be required for all employees and visitors in all county buildings and facilities.
• To encourage more booster shots, the county will provide two hours of paid leave for any employee who provides proof of full vaccination status and/or receipt of a booster shot (per CDC guidelines). This is available retroactively.
• Adopting new CDC guidance on quarantine protocols to continue serving Carroll County residents.

In another action, beginning January 6, 2022, the commissioners decided to make all county board and commission meetings, including the Board of Commissioners’ open sessions, virtual for the next 30 days.

“As we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, we believe Governor Hogan and his team have the best available information and we will continue to follow the state guidance,“ said Commissioner Ed Rothstein. “It looks like the next four to six weeks are going to be very challenging for our community and I want to encourage all Carroll Countians to put safety first and get vaccinated and follow other COVDID-19 safety protocols.”

Residents are encouraged to view the open session on the county’s meeting portal or YouTube Channel. In addition, all meetings are replayed on Comcast Channel 24.