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MARCH 12, 2021
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Restaurant capacity rule lifted, sort of Spacing requirements still limit number of customers eateries can accommodate
LISA CAPITELLI/OCEAN CITY TODAY
REFLECTIVE MOMENT
The days continue to get longer as the sun sets a little after 6 p.m. on Monday, illuminating the sky near Northside Park on 125th Street. Don’t forget to turn those clocks and “spring ahead” this weekend.
City Council agrees on $1.5M capital projects spending By Greg Wehner Staff Writer (March 12, 2021) Ocean City Council members on Tuesday unanimously approved spending $1.5 million on capital improvements in 2022, while also agreeing to get the
ball rolling on the design phase of burying utility lines under Baltimore Avenue between N. Division Street and 15th Street – a project that could eventually cost more than $20 million to complete. City Engineer Terry McGean met
with council members during a work session on Tuesday to review staff rankings of capital improvement projects as a follow-up to a previous discussion that took place between the parties. See COUNCIL Page 14
By Ally Lanasa Staff Writer (March 12, 2021) Although social distancing requirements will limit the number of patrons restaurants can accommodate, Gov. Larry Hogan’s order lifting restrictions on capacity today (Friday) is the best thing to happen for the industry in the past 12 months. With all restaurants suffering mightily — and some closing permanently — as the coronavirus surged here and in all of Maryland, Hogan’s announcement Tuesday put hope back on the menu. “While capacity is dictated by spacing restrictions, which are still in place, we are very happy with Gov. Hogan’s announcement, as this is certainly a step in the right direction,” said Susan Jones, executive director of the Ocean City Hotel-MotelRestaurant Association. “Increasing the number of patrons See SPACING Page 16
It’s been a year since covid-19 hit coast County had first case on March 20, now 3,295 cases later, some hope By Ally Lanasa Staff Writer (March 12, 2021) It was a year ago this week that Ocean City took action to prevent the pandemic from reaching the coast, as elsewhere in Maryland covid-19 had begun its rampage through the state’s most populated areas.
A week later, on March 20, Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin had its first outpatient test positive for covid-19, and beyond that: a yearlong nightmare of economic devastation, dozens of fatalities and 319 treated and released at AGH. It was and continues to be the viral storm of the century, and it has left lives and businesses in ruin. But also brought out the best in the people fighting the disease on the front lines, as they established new procedures and protocols on the
fly until the abnormal almost began to feel like the routine. “We initially had our first surge in April of last year, then had kind of a mini surge toward the end of summer, but then had our big surge November, December, January of this year,” said Dr. Sally Dowling, vice presiSee LOOKING Page 3