COVID-19 Joint Information Center Update: May 26, 2020

Posted: May 26, 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

Did you know the virus that causes COVID-19 can spread from a person before they have symptoms?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says you can take action to slow the spread by wearing a cloth face covering in public spaces, keeping at least 6 feet of physical distance, and frequently washing your hands.

A cloth face covering can be made from items around your home, such as a scarf or cloth napkin. Make sure the covering reaches above your nose and below your chin.

If you have questions you can visit https://bit.ly/34cFym6 for more details.

WASHINGTON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Contact tracing is part of the 4 building blocks of public health response described by Governor Larry Hogan as critical in reopening Maryland. As Washington County has moved into Stage 1 of recovery the effective use of contact tracing is a critical step in decreasing the number of COVID-19 cases and breaking the chain of transmission. The Washington County Health Department has about 40 contact tracers and additional backups in order to efficiently track movements and locations of positive COVID-19 patients and notify all household and casual contacts of their exposure risk. If you receive a call or voicemail from The Washington County Health Department please pick up or give us a call back. We are calling to inform you that you or someone you have been in close contact with has contracted COVID-19.

What to Expect during your phone call with the health department:

We will ask you about:

Your health and symptoms
Locations you have been during a specific period of time
Names and contact information for any household and casual contacts (we do not disclose your name to anyone, only that they may have come into contact with an infected individual)

(Please be as specific as possible about the nature and location of your interaction with others)

We will NOT ask you about:

Social security number
Financial or bank account information
Immigration status
Personal details unrelated to COVID-19

For more information about contact tracing please visit https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/contact-tracing

MERITUS HEALTH

COVID-19 SCREENING CENTERS STILL OPEN AND AVAILABLE

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

COVID-19 testing is now available to those who do not currently have symptoms of the coronavirus, but suspect or are concerned that they have been exposed. No appointments or referrals are needed to be tested. Testing is now available for all ages. Meritus Health’s screening centers include:

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 6:00 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.

FREE TELEHEALTH VISITS AVAILABLE

Meritus Health continues to offer FREE 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

VIRTUAL VISITS CONNECT PATIENTS AND FAMILIES

Meritus Health is now offering virtual visits to connect patients in the hospital with their families and friends. To setup a virtual visit, please contact the program’s coordinator at 240-313-3163.

WASHINGTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

End of School Year Updates:

Washington County Public Schools is sharing information with families regarding how the school year will come to a close during distance learning.

Find out about:

Marking period 4 grades and a timeline for final grades and report cards
Eligibility for fall extracurricular activities
Summer school
Process for picking up student personal belongings and returning school items

Read about these details and more at: End of School Year Updates | Actualizaciones de Fin de Año | La fin de l’année scolaire

The last day of distance learning for students is Wednesday, June 10, 2020.

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!

Upcoming Webinars

Wednesday, May 27th, 12:00 p.m.

NFIB Free Webinar: PPP Loan Forgiveness Application: A Step by Step Briefing for Small Businesses

May 15, 2020, SBA released the PPP loan forgiveness application, an 11-page application that borrowers will need to complete. As a follow-up to our previous PPP Loan Forgiveness webinar, Sandra Finch, a Certified Public Accountant who educates CPAs nationwide, will join Beth Milito and Holly Wade for a session that will review the PPP loan forgiveness application step by step and cover:

8-Week Covered Period and Alternative Payroll Covered Period
Eligible PPP Costs Including Owner Compensation
FTE Reduction Exceptions
June 30 Safe Harbor
Timing for Completing the Application and Documents Needed

Holly, Beth, and Sandra will also answer your questions live during Q&A. You can submit questions in advance to [email protected]. Can’t make this Webinar? Register Now and we’ll email you an on-demand version!

Monday, June 1st, 1:30 p.m.

The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area is hosting a reopening webinar for historical and cultural sites

Visitor-serving cultural organizations, particularly those that invite visitors into historic structures, requested that our next session in the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Planning for Reopening series be devoted to advice related to cleaning and disinfecting. A team of experts will join us for an hour to offer COVID-19 related guidance for general housekeeping and special considerations for historic materials, such as historic door fixtures and hand railings. Our guests will include:

Sarah Polzin (Training Manager) and Adam Mannarino (Health & Safety Officer) – NPS Historic Preservation Training Center
Mary Striegel, Chief research scientist (historic preservation, art conservation) National Center for Preservation Technology & Training
Nichole Doub, Head Conservator, Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory

The RSVP for the Zoom link to this conversation will arrive soon. You’ll have a chance to pose a question in advance at that time (live Q & A will also be invited).

Attention Employers:

Visit www.washcorises.net to stay informed regarding the latest updates to the recovery and reopening in Washington County.

The U.S. Chamber published a new Paycheck Protection Program Guide to Forgiveness. Like previous guides, this document provides businesses with an easy to understand explanation of what they need to do to apply for forgiveness of their PPP loans. Click here to download the guide. Please note, this guide will be updated as new guidance is issued by the Dept. of the Treasury.

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.