Weeks after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan authorized a statewide move into Phase Three of reopening, Prince George’s County officials have announced that the jurisdiction will remain in Phase Two for at least two to three more weeks.

During a press conference on Thursday, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and Health Officer Ernest Carter flagged concerning metrics that are preventing from the county — which holds the highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in the state — from easing up on restrictions. While Alsobrooks noted the progress the county has made over the past six months, both she and Carter warned residents to stay cautious as the fall approaches and flu season rolls in.

Both said that health officials will reassess the data in the coming weeks to determine a potential timeline for a Phase Three reopening.

“We can’t get weary at this point, we cannot let our guard down,” said Carter. “Even if the state and other counties have decided to head to Phase Three for reopening, Prince George’s County will remain in Phase Two for now. This is a long haul, and we need to be a bit more cautious in our reopening.”

In Phase Two, county businesses like theaters, bars, and nightclubs will remain closed, and restaurants and other retail can operate at 50% percent capacity. Phase Three allows all businesses to reopen, and increases capacity at establishments like retail and houses of worship to 75%.

Officials noted that the county’s test positivity rate (the number of positive tests out of total tests administered) dipped below 5% following a brief spike earlier this month, but that the county’s daily new case and infection rate metrics remain too high for a move into the next phase.

On Thursday, the county reported an infection rate (which measures how many people will be infected from one positive case) of just above 1. Carter says that metric needs to be below 0.9 for a move into Phase Three.

The county is also reporting 11 new positive cases a day per 100,000 residents, translating into more than 100 cases per day — a number Carter says is too high to consider loosening restrictions. Ideally, the county would hope to see 10 new cases a day per 100,000 residents — although this would still mark “medium risk.” Five new cases a day is the low-risk benchmark. The statewide rate was 8.06 as of Thursday.

“We still have folks dying, that’s why we have to stay vigilant,” Carter said. “Especially if we know that we can tick back up at any time, and it can get worse. COVID will be with us for a while longer.”

The second-most populous county in Maryland, Prince George’s has been one of the state’s hardest-hit jurisdictions during the pandemic. For weeks, it remained one of the only counties holding a positive rate stubbornly above the 5% benchmark, and it currently reports a total positive case count of nearly 29,000, according to Maryland Health Department data.

Neighboring Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties are also holding off on Phase Three transitions — although Montgomery County has made slight adjustments to its restrictions in recent weeks.