An employee from the District Court of Maryland in Prince George’s County has tested positive for COVID-19. This individual works at both the Upper Marlboro and Hyattsville courthouses, leading to their closure to court staff on April 6. The Maryland courts are already closed to the public until May 1 following an administrative order issued on April 3 due to the COVID-19 emergency.
According to officials, it is not believed that the affected employee had contact with the general public. All employees and individuals who may have been in contact with this person have been informed. The case has been reported to the Prince George’s County Health Department, the Maryland Department of Health, and the Maryland Department of General Services.
Despite these closures, commissioner's offices located at the courthouse in Hyattsville and the detention center in Upper Marlboro remain operational. They continue accepting petitions for protective orders, peace orders, emergency evaluations, extreme risk protective orders, and applications for statements of charges. Initial appearances for detained individuals are also being processed.
The judiciary has ensured that appropriate areas within both courthouses have been sealed off and will undergo sanitation before reopening to essential staff. For more details about how COVID-19 affects operations within the Maryland Judiciary or for updates, visit: https://mdcourts.gov/coronavirusupdate.