COVID-19 Joint Information Center Update: April 14, 2020

Posted: April 14, 2020

Coronavirus, Daily COVID-19 Briefings

The Washington County, Maryland Joint Information Center (JIC) provides the following update regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to receive Washington County daily briefings delivered to your inbox.

Emergency Operations Center

A lot of questions have arisen surrounding two white sea containers with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on the side being spotted in Washington County. These containers contain sheltering supplies (cots, blankets). They have been located within Washington County for over 10 years and were placed here as a regional cache of sheltering supplies for Western Maryland. These containers were recently moved to Hagerstown Community College in March to pre-position in case the need arose to provide mass sheltering.

WASHINGTON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Many people have raised concerns about food safety during the COVID-19 crisis. The following describes the steps that the Washington County Health Department and food service establishments are taking to ensure the safety of customers and employees.

During the COVID-19 crisis, food service establishments are encouraged to follow the best practices described by the Food and Drug Administration, which can be viewed by clicking here. These include requiring sick employees to stay home, frequent hand washing, wearing of face coverings as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, thorough cleaning and disinfecting, social distancing, and guidelines for safe pick-up and delivery.

The Washington County Health Department conducts rigorous case investigations and contact tracing for every individual confirmed to have COVID-19. This involves contacting the ill individual, providing guidelines for self-isolation and following up to determine when it is safe to release from isolation. Our Health Department also follows up with all close contacts to the ill individual. These individuals are instructed to quarantine for 14 days and to self-monitor for the development of COVID-19 symptoms. This is key to reducing the spread of the virus as COVID-19 may be transmitted by individuals who are incubating the virus but have not developed symptoms of infection. If an employee of a food service establishment tests positive for COVID-19 he or she would be required to self-isolate until no longer contagious. Any close contacts, including other employees of the establishment, would be required to quarantine and self-monitor.

Any restaurant or other food service establishment with ill employees would be required to perform thorough cleaning and disinfection, especially in those areas where the ill employee has been working. This might require a period of closure for the establishment and would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness and is not spread by contact with food, so there is no requirement for public notification that an employee has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

It is important for all of us to understand that there is widespread community transmission of COVID-19 in Washington County. It is crucial for everyone to observe the recommendations for social distancing, frequent hand hygiene, frequent cleaning of surfaces, and wearing of face coverings in public.

MERITUS HEALTH

Meritus Health now has a COVID-19 clinic for patients who have non-emergency health care needs and are either confirmed or suspected by a health care provider to have COVID-19. The new non-emergency care COVID-19 clinic is located at 13620 Crayton Blvd., inside Meritus Medical Plaza. Patients should enter through the main lobby of the building. Hours are Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on weekends. COVID-19 screening will not take place at the new clinic. Patients should be referred to this clinic by a Meritus Medical Group provider through an e-visit or another health care professional through a telehealth visit or by calling the COVID-19 care line at 301-790-9170.

Meritus Health continues to offer telehealth visits. These visits will allow patients to speak directly with a primary care provider to discuss health concerns.

Telehealth visits are available from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. To request a telehealth visit please complete the form below.

BOOK YOUR TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENT HERE

INCREASED TESTING CAPACITY AVAILABLE

Click on the map to right to access the closest COVID-19 testing site.

Once you have spoken with someone on the COVID-19 care line – 301-790-9170 – or to your physician about your symptoms, you may be directed to Meritus Health’s drive-thru or walk-thru screening center.

Drive-thru Center: COVID-19 screening is available behind Meritus Medical Plaza, at 13620 Crayton Blvd. Hours are Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and weekends from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Walk-thru Center: COVID-19 screening is available at 24 N. Walnut St, Hagerstown, MD. The walk-thru screening center is open Monday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

To view updated testing guidelines for COVID-19 at Meritus testing locations, please click here.

The Health Information Management (HIM)/Medical Records department at Meritus Medical Center has temporarily changed its policy and is currently unable to take walk-in requests for medical records. Urgent needs should be directed to 301-790-8137, Monday thru Friday, between 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

For the most up-to-date information on Meritus Medical Group e-visits, visitor restrictions at Meritus Health facilities including the hospital and other COVID-19 resources, please visit https://www.meritushealth.com/patients-visitors/public-notice/.

WASHINGTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Please stay tuned to www.hagerstown.org for the latest information on COVID-19 relief resources, local restaurants that remain open for business, and more! Also, please feel free to contact your Chamber staff throughout this challenging time. Find our contact information HERE.

UPCOMING WEBINARS

Wednesday, April 15, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

The Latest Updates as of April 15, 2020 to Small Business Administration’s Economic Impact Disaster Loan, Paycheck Protection Program, and other COVID-19 Business Loans

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be doing a webinar to discuss Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan, Paycheck Protection Program, and current updates regarding other COVID-19 Business Loans. Please RSVP to this event and make sure that we have a valid email with your registration. Space is limited which is why we are requiring an RSVP- if we get an overwhelming response, we can schedule another one and also send out the recorded webinar. After registering you will receive the Zoom Meeting link prior to the webinar starting to click on or dial in for the webinar. Please note the course registration closes at a set point due to the need to prepare for the current individuals already registered. If you have specific questions that you would like addressed, please contact John Hickman [email protected].

Thursday, April 16, 2020, 10-11:30 a.m.

“The Counselor Is In – Q&A with SBDC Business Consultants”

In light of the current COVID-19 health situation, we invite you to attend a webinar where you have the opportunity to get answers to your questions about all of the aid programs that are being offered to you. You are more than welcome to sit in on the webinar to hear what others are asking or you can get questions answered as time allows. Questions need to be submitted to Diane at [email protected] no later than April 10, 2020. This “The counselor is in” session will offer you the opportunity to get your questions answered. We are planning to have available during the webinar, five of our SBDC consultants to answer as many questions as time allows. We hope you can join this informative webinar.

Friday, April 17, 2020, 11:00 – 11:45 a.m.

WEISS BROS Free Webinar: “Cleaning Best Practices: NOW and BEYOND Part 2”

Join ISSA Certified Trainer Steve Johnson for a free webinar to discuss the following tips around cleaning:

Scheduled Cleaning Times – Document and update
Germs are ALIVE – Can’t see them, They are There Video
Tools – Microfiber, Disposable Microfiber, Disposable Wipers, Wet Task Buckets, Pre-Moistened Wipes
Mopping – What is the best procedure, Mop Bucket Wringer, Frequent changing water, Flat Mops, Frequent changing of pads
Vacuuming – Frequency, HEPA Filtration, Cleaning and maintaining equipment, Cords, Bags, Filter Changes

Attention Employers:

Information from the Maryland Department of Commerce regarding companies who have already submitted applications for a Maryland COVID-19 Relief Grant or Loan:

Checking on Successfully Submitted Applications: All applications for these programs are tracked in a system called Maryland One-Stop. Applications successfully sent prior to April 3rd have received an email and were instructed to set up a Maryland One-Stop account. Applications received after the 3rd were automatically received through the Maryland One-Stop platform. In either case, successful applications were confirmed via email to the address provided in the application. A business can log in to their Maryland One-Stop account and check the status of their application(s).
Troubleshooting: If a business submitted an application prior to April 3rd and has not set up a Maryland One-Stop account, they should do so immediately by visiting the Maryland One Stop website. When registering, they should make sure to use the email address they provided in their original application. If their original application was received correctly, it will automatically be added to their Maryland One-Stop account and the status can be checked by logging in. If they do not eventually see their original application on their account, they can send an inquiry email to: [email protected].
If there are issues with the Maryland One-Stop system in general, a business can send an inquiry to: [email protected]

Click here for guidance from the Maryland Department of Health for dealing with essential workers who may have been exposed to the virus.

U.S. Dept of Agriculture’s COVID-19 Federal Rural Resource Guide

REMINDER TO WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND NONPROFITS

Applications are due tomorrow, April 15th at midnight for the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Grant. Nonprofit organizations can apply for emergency grants to support increases to demands in services and/or grants to support general operating expenses when revenues have been impacted by COVID-19-related closures. This Emergency Assistance has been made possible by the United Way of Washington County MD, Inc. and the Community Foundation of Washington County MD, Inc. To receive additional information, click here.

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2020 has been postponed to Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. More details and a meeting agenda will be released prior to the meeting.

WASHINGTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Support for Washington County Public Schools students is across our community. The Washington County GIS team developed maps to find WiFi hotspots and meal sites. Website users can enter their address and find the closest locations to access.

To find a map of community WiFi hotspots to support distance learning, visit: https://arcg.is/1S0qSX.

To find a map of meal site locations, visit: https://arcg.is/1HaOq8.

Meal sites operate Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week. Food is available to children 18 years old and younger who are present at the site.

___________________________________________________________

The following is a message to school families from Dr. Boyd Michael, superintendent of Washington County Public Schools:

I’d like to share my appreciation with our school families in recognition of the many ways you have adjusted your routines and your lives to support your children in learning.

Please know WCPS does not want to cause families additional stress during this difficult time. We understand many people are in challenging and even overwhelming situations. We will be flexible about how and when students complete their school work. We encourage you to work with principals and teachers if you need additional support.

I would also like to share some ideas for supporting your children while they learn from home.

Try to set a schedule. This will provide a sense of routine, and your child will know what to expect each day.

Stay positive. We are all experiencing additional stress in our homes. Please try your best to be patient, positive, and encouraging with your child’s learning.

Celebrate your child. Change is hard, but when you find something is working, celebrate that progress.

Again, I thank you for stepping into this new role to support your child through distance learning. I wish you and your family all the best in the days ahead.

View the message in Spanish and French.

HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

In recognition of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Hagerstown Community College will host a week of virtual activities, from April 20 to 24.

The theme for the week is “our natural connections,” those environmental and natural phenomena that help us stay connected to the Earth and each other. All activities are listed at www.hagerstowncc.edu/earthday2020.

The purpose of this page is to help the public distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Rumors can easily circulate within communities during a crisis. Do your part to the stop the spread of disinformation by doing 3 easy things; don’t believe the rumors, don’t pass them along and go to trusted sources of information to get the facts about the state of Maryland’s (COVID-19) response.

COMMUNITY RESOURCES & INFORMATION

HORIZON GOODWILL – CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS TO ASSIST WITH FABRIC MASKS

Multiple local agencies and organizations that provide direct or essential services have requested in obtaining fabric masks for their employees. Horizon Goodwill is partnering with these agencies and volunteers to provide materials and instructions for creation of these masks. We have the supplies and instructions; we need volunteers with sewing machines to help get them made!

Organizations Needing Masks

City of Hagerstown- 125

Washington County EOC- 200

Salvation Army Soup Kitchen – 40

Turning Point Homeless Outreach Team- 50

Horizon Goodwill – 400

Arc of Washington County – TBA

Additional Ask

Emergency Command-7000-8000 masks that need elastic replaced. These will be at the Community Action Council for repair, need volunteers 10:00 a.m.-Noon or Noon-2:00 p.m. Monday-Friday to complete this project. We want to keep these in one place so that we can be sure all masks are returned to Sheriff. This initiative began on April 10th and will continue until completed.

Contact Information

Call Brooke Grossman, Horizon Goodwill volunteer Point Of Contact, at 301-988-0185 if interested in assisting.

Interested volunteers/groups should pick one of the projects above and a quantity they feel is reasonable for them to produce. Pickup of packaged materials will be coordinated at Horizon Goodwill headquarters at 145151 Pennsylvania Ave (across from Nick’s Airport Inn). Once volunteers are identified for specific projects, they will be provided with the Point of Contact for the specific organization and they can deliver masks directly once complete.