Montgomery Community Media

On Thursday, Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles asked private schools to consider a return to fully-virtual instruction. In a letter, Gayles said a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the county will make it hard to maintain the current low rate of transmission in schools. He also cited that as of Tuesday, the […]

Montgomery County – and the rest of the country – have been coping with the COVID-19 pandemic for more than eight months now. But help may be on the way as early as late December in the form of one or two vaccines. According to Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles, there is “promising […]

Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles says local hospital leaders are starting to see an increase in hospitalizations, particularly people under 30-years-old, due to COVID-19. “What they reported is they are starting to see- unlike the first wave of cases back in the spring- a higher percentage of young people,” said Dr. Gayles during […]

As COVID-19 case numbers rise, county leaders say they continue to work with local hospitals to make sure they are prepared. During the county’s weekly virtual COVID-19 media briefing, Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles says there have been record case numbers in Maryland, and some ‘higher than expected averages’ locally. Local hospital utilization has also […]

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, Montgomery County health officials announced revised indicators to guide potential rollbacks of Phase 2 reopening provisions. On Friday, Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles updated the indicators that have guided the County’s decisions since June. “We have been monitoring the uptick in cases to determine whether it was […]

Montgomery County is investigating a COVID-19 outbreak linked to a youth soccer club that has now “spilled over” into a high school team, public health officials have confirmed. Over the weekend, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was notified of two initial positive cases tied to the Potomac Soccer Association. As a result […]

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 7, and here are five things to know in Montgomery County. 1. Walk Maryland: It’s Walk Maryland Day! Find a scheduled walk in Montgomery County to celebrate our state’s official exercise. *Tomorrow* Walk Maryland Day is Wednesday, October 7 A day to promote walking for physical activity, recreation, transportation, and improved […]

As we enter the fall and winter months, local officials say the county is more prepared if COVID-19 cases happen to spike- compared to when the virus first impacted this area in the spring. “I feel confident that we will be in a better position now to respond to a spike or an increase in […]

The Society Restaurant & Lounge in Silver Spring has been declared an “Unsafe Facility” by Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles after repeated COVID-19 violations. The Georgia Avenue establishment was ordered to close on Tuesday following an inspection on Saturday. It must remain closed for 30 days or until Gayles approves reopening. Society previously […]

Montgomery County is working on a COVID-19 vaccine dissemination plan with the state and other local jurisdictions.  There is currently no COVID-19 vaccine. Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles has warned residents to be wary of reports that a vaccine could arrive as early as October. CBS News reported that Pfizer and BioNTech may […]