The Restaurant Association of Maryland joined forces with nearly 100 restaurants statewide Friday to bring a fight against coronavirus restrictions to the courts.
The association and restaurateurs filed injunctions to reverse the recent bans on indoor dining in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, as well as the bans on indoor and outdoor dining in Baltimore.
“The requests were filed on the basis that the county executives and mayor of Baltimore do not have evidence proving that closing restaurants will have an effect on the spread of COVID-19,” according to a statement released Friday by the association.
During a press conference Friday morning, lawyers Joe Zauner and Michelle Mtimet of Zauner & Mtimet Law, explained the lawsuits.
“There are 24 counties in Maryland, [and] four have decided to take more restrictive actions against restaurants in Maryland. We believe that this does not follow the science and it does not follow the recommendations made by the governor,” Ms. Mtimet said. “As a result, we are asking the courts to follow the lead of Anne Arundel County and issue a temporary restraining order to give us fair and just relief.”
Ms. Mtimet was referring to an Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge who temporarily blocked County Executive Steuart Pittman’s prohibition on indoor dining just hours before it was set to go into effect Wednesday. Outdoor dining was also supposed to be outlawed, but Mr. Pittman changed his mind that day and decided to allow it.
Judge William C. Mulford II found that Mr. Pittman “appears to have relied on a selective interpretation of the data relating to COVID-19 matters that ignores or minimizes other sources of COVID-19 contact and has not clearly explained the overall hospital capacity in Anne Arundel County as it relates to COVID exposure.”
The ruling also pointed out that workers may be laid off at the start of the holiday season, which is “one of the best times of the year for them in terms of work opportunities and income.”
Anne Arundel’s restaurants are able to keep serving patrons at the statewide limit of 25% indoor capacity until the next hearing, scheduled for Dec. 28.
Mr. Zauner said they hope to obtain a similar temporary restraining order within the next few days, “hopefully” before Christmas.
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