Montgomery Community Media

Leaders detailed updated COVID-19 quarantine guidance for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) during a virtual press conference Monday. The new guidance will take effect next Monday, Nov. 8, MCPS Interim Superintendent Dr. McKnight said. The Maryland departments of health and education released new K-12 childcare COVID-19 guidance Friday evening, she said. Unvaccinated students have otherwise […]

Montgomery County leaders are developing a COVID-19 test-to-stay program for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) with a goal to reduce quarantines, County Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Earl Stoddard explained during a virtual media briefing Wednesday. The program will look similar to the one in Massachusetts, Stoddard wrote on Twitter. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary […]

Montgomery College will require staff and students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, per a release from the college. Exemptions are possible for medical and religious reasons. All faculty and staff must verify full vaccination status by Nov. 8 and all students by Jan. 7, 2022. Students who do not submit verification must apply for […]

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has updated its COVID-19 quarantine guidelines. To summarize, in most situations, close contacts of symptomatic students will no longer be required to quarantine unless that student tests positive for COVID-19 or had a known exposure to someone with the virus, said Heather Dublinske, MCPS Coordinator for Student Welfare and Compliance. […]

Montgomery County employees must submit documentation showing they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 18 or be required to submit to regular coronavirus testing. County Executive Marc Elrich made the announcement during a virtual media briefing Wednesday. He said those who are unvaccinated are the biggest obstacle to the path back to normalcy. “The […]

After an audit found that 500,000 COVID-19 test kits that the state bought from the South Korean company LabGenomics were not purchased in accordance with state regulations, Gov. Larry Hogan scoffed at the report. “It was complete nonsense. I’m still very happy with the tremendous success of acquiring these test kits. It was probably one […]

At home, digital Advanced Placement (AP) exams will be, when possible, the default option for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students this semester, school officials discussed during a meeting last week. This strategy accommodates distancing, supports operational needs during reopening and builds on “lessons learned last year,” said Scott Murphy, director of MCPS College and […]

Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles reemphasized the importance of getting tested for COVID-19 during a council meeting Tuesday. In response to a question from Councilmember Craig Rice, Gayles said the county wants to prevent another wave of cases and then another wave of lockdowns that some European countries, like Italy, are currently dealing […]

“The basic problem is pretty simple: we need more damn vaccines,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said at a press conference Tuesday. He said every state, county and city in the U.S. is facing the issue of COVID-19 vaccine demand outweighing supply. “And we’ve been told by the federal government that this problem will continue to […]

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) employees were notified on Friday that formal planning for some in-person instruction is beginning.  Last week Gov. Larry Hogan announced that all 24 Maryland jurisdictions have state-approved plans to bring at least some students back into school buildings this fall. In late August Hogan said eight school systems did not include […]