**PRESS RELEASE**
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Calista Black, M-NCPPC, 301-952-3038
THE PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY PLANNING BOARD TO MANDATE VACCINATION AND TESTING PROTOCOLS TO PROTECT WORKERS AND PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY RESIDENTS
UPPER MARLBORO, MD –The Prince George’s County Planning Board of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) directed the agency’s managers last Thursday to develop new worker guidelines for face coverings and vaccinations to combat the growing spread of COVID-19 and the Delta and other variants in Prince George’s County.
“The Commission has made the health and safety of our employees and the community we serve our top priority throughout the pandemic,” said Elizabeth M. Hewlett, Chairman of the Prince George’s County Planning Board. “The Planning Board’s actions reinforce the agency’s commitment in Prince George’s County to protect and provide a safe environment for all to recreate and do business.”
The new mandates will require all employees of the Planning Board, Planning Department, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and local patrons to wear a face covering at all times while visiting or working in M-NCPPC facilities in Prince George’s County. To protect younger patrons, employees working with children will be required to show proof of vaccination. Any employee covered by the new rules who fails to demonstrate they are fully vaccinated will be required to undergo weekly COVID testing and may face potential reassignment or other accommodations.
Leaders from the agency’s corporate HR team are meeting this week with program managers for the Commission’s Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation, Planning Department, and Planning Board and staff to develop internal rules needed to implement the Planning Board’s directive.
“We expect that, after touching base with our collective bargaining partners, our team should be ready to promulgate final rules within the next two weeks,” said Hewlett.
For more information and guidelines for visiting M-NCPPC national award-winning parks and recreation facilities within Prince George’s County, visit pgparks.com. For details on planning and development review initiatives and procedures, visit pgplanning.org.
About The Prince George’s County Planning Board
The Prince George’s County Planning Board, together with the Montgomery County Planning Board make up The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission – a bi-county agency created by State law in 1927 to acquire, develop, maintain and administer a regional system of parks and administer a general plan for the physical development of both counties. In Prince George’s County, the quasi-judicial body’s responsibilities include supervising preparation of land use plans and comprehensive zoning maps, advising the County Council on zoning map amendment and special exception applications, and reviewing and approving site plans. The Board also oversees the Commission’s work in the County, as carried out by the Parks and Recreation and Planning Departments. For more information, visit www.pgplanningboard.org
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