Officials in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties expect to start the second phase of reopening next week as the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations and deaths decline.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks expressed concern about reopening too soon in recent weeks as COVID-19 claimed the lives of hundreds in her county. Now, she is planning for the county to move to phase two of reopening by Monday — with a caveat.

“COVID-19 is still very much a part of our community,” Alsobrooks said at a Thursday press conference. “We are not out of the woods.”

In Montgomery County, Executive Marc Elrich has been similarly cautious about reopening. Elrich said recently, however, he is optimistic about also possibly moving into phase two next week.

Both counties envision allowing indoor dining at restaurants, religious services, retail stores, and public and private pools to resume business at limited capacity in phase two. Businesses that provide child care services can also reopen with 15 children per room. Gyms and indoor fitness centers will be open throughout the state on June 19, except in Prince George’s County.

Gov. Larry Hogan’s reopening plans are moving faster in the rest of the state in an effort to reinvigorate a struggling economy. But some public health experts are concerned that allowing indoor activities in restaurants, casinos, and malls could reverse efforts to suppress the virus.

Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and a member of Hogan’s COVID advisory team, believes health experts have not yet had time to see the full impact of decisions to reopen non-essential businesses.

“I’ve been largely supportive of the actions taken until this week,” he said Thursday at a press conference.

Inglesby said he does not agree with Hogan’s decision to allow large indoor gatherings and the reopening of casinos, malls, and arcades. He said he’s worried about having an “increased risk of a resurgence of cases” in Maryland and said the state should wait another few weeks before announcing any new openings.

Inglesby also said experts need time to see how recent protests against police killings will impact coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in the coming weeks.

“I completely understand the reasons for these protests,” Inglesby said. “On a personal level, I completely share these views. But from the point of view of the public’s health, these gatherings will increase the risk of transmissions, and we should be ready for that.”

For now, officials believe coronavirus data from Prince George’s and Montgomery counties show an optimistic picture. According to Prince George’s County Health Department data, hospitalizations declined by almost 15% between the last week of May and the first week of June. The county is currently averaging seven deaths per day compared to 10 deaths per day in the first week of May, according to Ernest Carter, the county’s director of health.

“We need to keep our hospital capacity robust as we move into phase two,” Carter said Thursday. “Especially as the hospitals start to do more procedures such as surgeries.”

Similar gains are being made in Montgomery County. The county has seen a 14-day decline in hospitalizations and a 13-day decline in deaths, according to county health data.

“While we do not know exactly when Phase 2 will begin, I am hopeful that it will be in about one week, but it will only be based on the data and in consultation with our public health officer,” Elrich said in a statement. “I have an obligation to be cautious and consider the public health risks for our residents.”

Hogan emphasized Wednesday at a press conference that while the state continues to reopen, the virus hasn’t gone away. And he credits the restrictions that have been in place for controlling the severity of the coronavirus.

“Without taking aggressive action we could have had more than 300,000 infections and 12,500 deaths in Maryland at this point in time,” Hogan said. “But because of the early and aggressive actions taken we have not only flattened the curve, we have crushed that curve.”

According to state health department data, there are more than 59,000 confirmed cases and more than 2,700 deaths. Fran Phillips, deputy director of the state’s department of health, said residents should continue to take precautions to avoid a second wave of infections and hospitalizations.

“We’re asking Marylanders to again continue to use common sense and social distancing,” she said.