COVID-19 Joint Information Center Update: February 18, 2022

COVID-19

JOINT INFORMATION CENTER BRIEFING

February 18, 2022

The is the final Joint Information Briefing.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER

Washington County has seen a significant decrease in the COVID-19 positivity rate over the past week. While the positivity rate continues to steadily decrease, citizens are reminded to remain vigilant to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy. Since the last JIC brief on February 7th, there have been 22 Washington County residents who have died from COVID-19. This virus is still in our community and as many of us know, can be deadly. Please do your part by getting vaccinated, boosted, wearing a mask when in large gatherings, and maintaining social distance.

REPORTING YOUR COVID AT-HOME POSITIVE TEST

Those with positive results from at-home Covid-19 tests can now report those on the Maryland Health Department portal. Click on the link above to report your results.

Access Your Official Immunization Records Today

 

MyIR Mobile in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health allows you to review your immunization history, get reminders for future immunizations, and even print your own official record. It’s all free, simple, and secure.

WASHINGTON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

As positivity rates of COVID-19 tests collected by Meritus Health continue to go lower, inpatient medical care needs for these patients reduce, and the demand for testing greatly diminishes, all of the signs begin to point toward the region emerging from the most recent and worst surge of COVID-19 in the area.

 

As of Friday morning, Meritus Health’s seven-day testing positivity rate had reduced to 10.2 percent, the number of patients receiving care for COVID-19 at Meritus Medical Center had reduced to 14 and the number of people seeking a test dramatically reduced.

 

“We are cautiously optimistic that these numbers are indicators that this surge is behind us,” explained Meritus Health’s President and CEO Maulik Joshi, a doctor of public health. “They also could be indicators that we are headed toward a new phase of COVID-19.”

 

Joshi said while care teams at Meritus Medical Center continue to treat patients with COVID-19 and the virus continues to be a very real threat to the health of the community, as we move to an endemic phase we all need to learn to live with COVID-19 safely.

 

He encourages community members to remain vigilant and to get vaccinated and boosted.

The Emergency Operations Center continues to encourage residents that if you have not yet been vaccinated to strongly consider the benefits of getting the vaccination. If you click on the photo above, it will take you to the COVID-19 Vaccine Community Calendar.

COVID-19 TESTING SITES IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, MD

 

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 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.