MHLA is partnered with the American Hotel & Lodging Association for advocacy on federal issues, and freezing of per diem rates was among the issues we advocated for during the federal Legislative Action Summit last month.  Thank you to all of our members who helped to achieve this win!

Click here to view FY 2022 Per Diem Rates.

AHLA STATEMENT ON GSA FY2022 PER DIEM RATES
WASHINGTON (August 12, 2021) – American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President and CEO Chip Rogers released the below statement after the General Services Administration (GSA) announced it would freeze FY2022 federal per diem rates for government travel in the Continental United States at FY2021 levels, which are based on pre-COVID-19 rates.

“AHLA thanks the General Services Administration (GSA) for setting fair FY2022 per diem rates that recognize the devastating impact COVID-19 continues to have on hotel employees and small businesses. This is a big win for hoteliers across the country, as government travel supports tens of thousands of jobs and billions in travel spending, and many private sector organizations also base travel reimbursements on federal per diem rates. Freezing per diem rates at pre-pandemic levels is vital to the hotel industry as we continue down the long and uneven road to recovery. We are grateful for GSA’s work to ensure reasonable per diem rates for FY22, and we look forward to welcoming back our government guests as travel resumes.”

BACKGROUND ON PER DIEM RATES
Each year, the General Services Administration (GSA) sets a per diem rate to reimburse employees’ lodging expenses for official travel within the continental U.S. Normally, GSA calculates per diems based on the average daily rate (ADR) from the previous fiscal year, less five percent.

As a result of pandemic-related shutdowns, capacity restrictions and safety precautions, calculating per diem rates the normal way would have led to an artificially low rate that would have only exacerbated the economic crisis facing hoteliers.

The FY22 CONUS per diem rate is $151, which includes $96 for lodging and $55 for meals. This is the same as FY21. The FY22 rates will be available on the GSA website tomorrow morning.

Source: MarylandReporter.com
Several of the state’s biggest jurisdictions reinstated mask mandates today, hoping to curb the rapidly increasing spread of the Delta variant, Johanna Alonso reports for The Daily Record. Baltimore’s mandate goes into effect at 9 a.m. on Aug. 9 and Montgomery County’s goes into effect at midnight the morning of Aug. 7. 

• Mayor Brandon Scott announced Thursday he will reinstate a Baltimore indoor mask mandate that will be regardless of vaccination status, as the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus rips through the city and country, Emily Sullivan reports for WYPR.
• In some parts of the city, as many as 70% of residents remain unvaccinated, Timothy Dashiell and Fern Shen report for Baltimore Brew, with officials bemoaning the persistence of misinformation about the vaccine and the virus. In Baltimore, new cases increased more than 374% compared to four weeks ago and positivity, which now stands at 1.7%, has seen a similar rise over the past month.
• Officials in Montgomery County voted unanimously Thursday to reinstate a mask mandate requiring people in the county to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces, Jack Moore reports for WTOP. The mandate applies regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
• The Montgomery County mandate would end after seven straight days of fewer than 75 cases per day, or an average of that during the same period, Steve Bohnel reports for Bethesda Beat. Residents weighing in on the mask policy had mixed feelings, with some saying it will protect the unvaccinated and others saying Moco’s vaccination rate is high at more than 70% and the policy isn’t needed.
• Prince George’s County will reinstate its indoor mask mandate on Sunday at 5 p.m. as COVID-19 cases climb, Anaya Truss-Williams reports for The Diamondback, the student newspaper at University of Maryland.

​The Safe Stay Guidelines have been updated to reflect the new CDC guidance released last week, which recommended fully vaccinated individuals wear face coverings in public indoor settings in ‘substantial or high’ transmission areas of the country. At this time, circumstances for a change in mask requirements are local, not national, and may be temporary depending upon location. Therefore, we encourage each hotel to monitor their specific location and act accordingly. MHLA will remain vigilant and will continue to rely on CDC recommendations, in accordance with state and local laws, to help navigate any new public health concerns.
 
As an industry, our top priority is employee and guest safety.  As we navigate this ongoing public health challenge, we urge everyone to get vaccinated to help ensure the safety of our communities. Please visit the AHLA Employee Vaccination Information website for the latest resources from the CDC, and other health organizations. Click the following link to Find a vaccine site in Maryland.