COVID-19 Joint Information Center Update: April 28, 2020

Posted: April 28, 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

Wear a cloth face covering to slow the spread of coronavirus. Growing evidence suggests the virus can spread:

• Before people show symptoms (pre-symptomatic) and

• From people who have the virus but never show symptoms (asymptomatic).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cloth face coverings help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in these situations. Learn more about these coverings and how you can make one by visiting https://bit.ly/2Ravt42

WASHINGTON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

For those who may have complaints or inquiries regarding social distancing compliance at operating businesses, organizations, establishments, facilities, or construction sites, please contact the Washington County Health Department at 240-313-3210 or email [email protected].

The Washington County Health Department will work in coordination with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police to address and investigate all complaints or inquiries.

On April 5, 2020, Governor Hogan issued Executive Order Number 20-04-05-02 Delegating Authority to Local Health Officials to Control and Close Unsafe Facilities. The purpose of the Executive Order is to control and prevent the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring that a business, organization, establishment, facility, or construction site complies with the Social Distancing Guidance published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Maryland Department of Health (MDH). Individuals can call 240-313-3210 or email [email protected] to report concerns regarding compliance with this Executive Order.

MERITUS HEALTH

COVID-19 TESTING EXPANDS FOR COMMUNITY

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

COVID-19 testing is now available to anyone showing symptoms as designated by the CDC – Fever greater than 100.5 degrees and/or a dry cough, shortness of breath or sore throat. No appointments or referrals are needed to be tested. Testing is now available for all ages.Testing is 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.

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

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, April 29, 12:00 p.m.

FREE 1-hour webinar by SCORE Mid-Maryland maps out a survival strategy that goes beyond the SBA loans.

This webinar is more strategic, describing how you can expand your capabilities, tap into other sources of money and implement a set of best practices. This webinar includes a very concise “Cookbook” complete with an Excel Workbook, enabling you to rapidly implement a comprehensive survival plan. Click Here For a PDF Version of the Webinar.

Wednesday, April 29, 12:00-1:30 p.m.

Paycheck Protection Program Q&A Session – Hosted by CNB Bank

This webinar panel will consist of:

Mark Harrell, President & CEO
Dwayne Shrader, SVP Commercial Lending
John Menard, SVP Mortgage Lending
Matt Jozik, SVP Chief Credit Officer

Registration is free and we will be able to share the presentation and recording afterward for anyone that is unable to attend!

Wednesday, April 29, 12:00 p.m.

NFIB Welcomes Kelly Schulz to COVID-19 Assistance Conference Call

NFIB is providing the most updated information to our members about the coronavirus public health emergency (COVID-19), which includes engaging with elected officials and policymakers.

Commerce Secretary Schulz would like to provide a timely legislative update about the pandemic response and the assistance available for small business owners.

You may send questions and RSVP ahead of the call to [email protected]. Sharing your stories and questions are important in helping government officials understand the economic impact of COVID-19 and in their decision making.

All call participants will be muted. Instructions for live comments and questions will be provided.

Call: +1 901-443-1157

Conference ID: 218 208 067#

You can also join using Microsoft Teams meeting by clicking here.

Thursday, April 30, 11:00 a.m.

FREE Webinar hosted by The Fort Detrick Alliance: “New Challenges & Hurdles for Contractors in the COVID-19 Era”

Learn how to best navigate government contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic era. Hear from Jeremy Scholtes, Attorney at Miles and Stockbridge; Jerome Maultsby, Assistant Director of the Office of Small Business Programs at Fort Detrick; and Sara Langdon, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, HQ.

This webinar will be moderated and there will be time for participants to ask questions of the panelists.

This event is open to members and non-members of the Alliance. Please pass along to anyone who might be interested or benefit from this opportunity. The webinar link will be provided to registrants the day before the event. Attendees will be able to video conference or call in depending on preference.

Friday, May 1, 11:00 a.m. – Noon

COVID-19: Economic Outlook and Prospects for Recovery – Hosted by the MD Chamber of Commerce

Join us for a conversation with Tom Barkin, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Mr. Barkin will discuss the Federal Reserve’s recent and unprecedented actions and share his thoughts on the U.S. economy, including what the Richmond Fed is learning through business outreach, and the key components to a successful recovery.

Attention Employers:

The ‘Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery’ is divided into three stages:

STAGE ONE calls for lifting the stay-at-home order, and involves business, community, religious, and quality of life improvements. Examples of changes that could be implemented in this stage include:

Reopening of small shops and certain small businesses
Curbside pickup and drop-off for businesses
Elective medical and dental procedures at ambulatory, outpatient, and medical offices
Limited attendance outdoor religious gatherings
Recreational boating, fishing, golf, tennis, hiking, and hunting
Reopening of car washes
Limited outdoor gym and fitness classes
Outdoor work with appropriate distancing measures
Some personal services

STAGE TWO will likely be a longer stage of the initial recovery, but will also be the stage when a large number of businesses and activities come back online. Any businesses that reopen during this period would need to comply with strict physical distancing and appropriate safety protocols. Examples of changes that could be implemented in this stage include:

Raising the cap on social gatherings
Indoor gyms and fitness classes
Childcare centers
Normal transit schedules
Indoor religious gatherings
Reopening of restaurants and bars with restrictions
Elective and outpatient procedures at hospitals

STAGE THREE will involve instituting higher-risk activities, but there is no realistic timeline yet for achieving this level. Examples of changes that could be implemented in this stage include:

Larger social gatherings
Reopening of high-capacity bars and restaurants
Lessened restrictions on visits to nursing homes and hospitals
Reopening of entertainment venues
Larger religious gatherings

Click here for full plan details.

WASHINGTON COUNTY GOVERNMENT BUDGET HEARING

The Washington County Budget Hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, 2020 has been rescheduled to Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. The budget hearing will be conducted virtually, with a 7-day follow-up period for citizens to submit comments.

HAGERSTOWN REGIONAL AIRPORT

The Allegiant flights scheduled for Friday, May 1st and Monday, May 4th are cancelled. HGR currently remains open and operational but flights are subject to change. Passengers are encouraged to contact their airline via their app, social media or calling the airport directly if you have questions regarding your travel itinerary.

HAGERSTOWN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Hagerstown Community College is offering two free summer classes to area 2020 high school graduates.

“We recognize all the sacrifices this year’s high school graduates have been forced to make, due to the pandemic,” said HCC President Jim Klauber. “This gift from the college is our way of helping to honor them and celebrate their accomplishments.”

The offer is open to 2020 high school/homeschool graduates from Washington County and HCC’s neighboring out-of-state counties (Franklin County, PA; Fulton County, PA; Berkeley County, WV; Jefferson County, WV; and Morgan County, WV).

Students may select one or two online summer courses beginning May 26, June 29, or July 13, and must be enrolled by May 26. Tuition is offered free-of-charge, but students are responsible for the cost of textbooks and college fees. The opportunity is open to the first 100 students who apply.

The application deadline is May 15. To learn more and apply, visit www.hagerstowncc.edu/gradgift.

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

WASHINGTON COUNTY COVID-19 EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FUND ANNOUNCES 2^nd CYCLE GRANT RECIPIENTS

Washington County COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund - 2nd Cycle Grant Recipients

The Washington County COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, a campaign organized by the Community Foundation and United Way of Washington County, Maryland, announces the second cycle of grant recipients. The second disbursement of grants was announced on Monday April 27 ^th .

Grants totaling $50,540 were funded to ten different agencies:

The first disbursement of grants was announced on April 20^th. Grants totaling $50,000 were funded to five different agencies:

The deadline for the third cycle of grants is Sunday, May 3rd at midnight. Applications will be reviewed, and recipients will be announced on Monday May 11 ^th . Applications should have a focus on ensuring basic needs and essential services throughout Washington County.

Together, the Community Foundation and United Way have challenged the community to raise an additional $50,000, bringing the total up to $250,000. The initial goal for the Emergency Assistance Fund was $200,000. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so does the community’s need for essential services and basic needs. The Emergency Assistance Fund will continue until the COVID-19 crisis has diminished.

All funds raised will support Washington County community-based organizations and partners who directly help those adversely affected by the COVID-19 crisis. In the weeks and months ahead, the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund will provide additional capacity to community-based organizations in Washington County. This fund will deliver economic assistance and access to vital food and basic need supplies to the many children, families and households who already have and will be impacted by the temporary loss of income. The COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund may also be deployed to strengthen our community’s ability to prepare for and respond to a variety of health and other emergencies, as well as to support programs and initiatives that are focused on fighting for the health, education, basic needs and financial stability of our community. Donations made to the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund will support efforts to provide relief to people impacted by coronavirus and its effect on our community.

The goal of the COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund is to raise as much money as possible to deliver positive outcomes for severely affected individuals and families. The Community Foundation secured $100,000 in matching grants in less than two days. Matching donors include: Adna Fulton Family Fund. Pauline Anderson Foundation, William Dutton Family Fund, Alice Virginia and David W. Fletcher Foundation, God’s Grace Fund, Community Foundation of Washington County, MD., John R. Hershey Jr. and Anna L. Hershey Family Foundation, Ed and Betsy Beachley, Dr. and Mrs. Mitesh and Erin Kothari, Kevin and Stacey Crawford, and Todd and Sue Baer.

United Way of Washington County has waived all administrative and processing fees to ensure all campaign funding will go to those most in need. To ensure maximum impact, the funding community is banding together to ensure that 100% of donations are distributed appropriately throughout the community.

Donations can be made online at https://bit.ly/2UR6fsy by texting COVIDWashCo to 313131, by calling 301.739.8200 x 104 or by mailing checks to United Way of Washington County, 83 West Washington Street, Suite 101, Hagerstown, MD.

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.

The JIC consists of representatives from the following agencies: Washington County Government, Washington County Health Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Washington County Public Schools, Meritus Health, Washington County Chamber of Commerce, City of Hagerstown, and Hagerstown Community College.

For additional information, please contact the Public Relations and Marketing Department at 240-313-2380 or [email protected].

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