Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski declared a local state of emergency to expand Baltimore County's ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The State of Emergency will give county leaders the ability to move faster when it comes to emergency public health measures. "We’ve made undeniable progress in our fight against this deadly virus, but it is clear the omicron variant significantly challenges our efforts to combat the pandemic,” Olszewski said. “Renewing Baltimore County’s state of emergency ensures we have every tool in our toolbox to keep our residents safe and keep our children where they belong: inside the classroom.” The masking requirement will be in place until January 31, 2022. With this new state of emergency, County Executive Olszewski today also announced a new public health order requiring all individuals ages five and over to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces in Baltimore County, effective 9 a.m. Wednesday, December 29, 2021 until January 31,...