County OKs In-Person Graduation Ceremonies With Restrictions

Rockville MD

20 April, 2021

4:59 PM

Description

ROCKVILLE, MD — After more than a year of online learning and social distancing, high school seniors in Montgomery County will be able to celebrate graduation in person. In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the County Council approved a measure that will allow for in-person commencement ceremonies, but with coronavirus-related restrictions. "I think it's really time to let our students and our children have more of a return to normalcy," Councilmember Hans Riemer said, reiterating that all Marylanders aged 16 and above are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. The County Council, which sits as the Board of Health, have issued the following guidance for in-person graduation ceremonies: The total number of persons present at an outdoor graduation ceremony must be limited to 50 percent of the outdoor venue's maximum occupancyIf an outdoor venue does not have a formal certificate of occupancy, 40 square feet per person must be used to calculate the occupancy limitThe total number of persons present at an indoor graduation ceremony is limited to 25 percent of the maximum occupancy or 250 people, whichever is smallerA school that plans an indoor graduation ceremony must obtain a Letter of Approval for their plan showing how it would meet the general requirements of the regulationA record of everyone attending the graduation must be kept for 30 days to enable contact tracing; The school must identify a point of contact for an attendee to notify if they test positive for COVID-19 within two weeks after the event, and the point of contact must notify the county's Department of Health and Human Services within one business day of notice of a positive testNo more than 10 people can be on the stage at one timeThe ceremony must last no more than two hoursMembers of the audience from different households must remain at least six feet apart at all timesSignage explaining the infectious control requirements must be posted at the venueNo group or staged photographyNo congregating or gathering in common areas both inside and outside of the venue before or after the ceremonyA masked speaker must be at least 12 feet from the audience and an unmasked speaker must be at least 18 feet from the audienceDiplomas must be distributed without handshakes or physical contactNo food or beverage concessions at the ceremonyThe amended Board of Health regulation and the Council staff report can be viewed here.