Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has instituted a city-wide curfew that will go into effect today, starting at 10:00 p.m. The curfew will be in place for seven days, at which point the mayor will determine if additional days are needed.
Details of the curfew, which were posted Tuesday on the official Baltimore City website, are as follows:
1) The night-time curfew applies to all citizens regardless of age (with exceptions of emergency personnel and those commuting to and from work for essential functions, including students traveling to/from classes).
2) Non-essential business operations should be suspended from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. This includes restaurants, entertainment venues, and bars, which should be closed during these times. Visitors and patrons should plan enough travel time before the curfew begins.
3) For essential business operations, employees traveling to and from work during the curfew should have a valid picture ID (presumably a driver's license) and a document from their employer stating their need to work during curfew hours with dates and employee hours.
4) Drivers or individuals may be stopped by law enforcement officials and should be prepared with the information above to avoid arrest. Violation of the curfew is a misdemeanor.