Baltimore to lift 1-hour limit on city dining as coronavirus numbers decline

A time limit on restaurant dining in Baltimore will be lifted as of Monday at 6 a.m., Mayor Brandon Scott announced Wednesday.

Additionally, the city’s restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic will be further refined. In place of defined limits of no more than 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, the city will place cap gatherings at a percentage of a space’s total capacity. All indoor gatherings, including indoor dining, will be limited to 25% of capacity. Outdoor dining is limited to 50% capacity.

The city’s one-hour time limit on dining has been in place since Scott allowed restaurants to reopen to dining four weeks ago. Some health experts and restaurantgoers questioned whether the policy made dining safer or simply created a hassle for restaurants. Others felt the limits represented a compromise for restaurants eager to reopen. Sign-in sheets quickly appeared at the doors of restaurants across the city to track patrons’ stays. Restaurants need to continue using the sign-in sheets, Scott said.