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

Posted: July 14, 2020

Coronavirus, Daily COVID-19 Briefings

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

Please visit www.washco-md.net/coronavirus-info for the latest numbers on Washington County’s COVID-19 dashboard.

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

COVID-19 Joint Information Daily Briefings will be released ONLY on Tuesdays and Fridays.

**The dashboard will be updated Monday-Friday**

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER

The Emergency Operations Center for Washington County, Maryland held a press conference today, Tuesday, July 14, 2020.

Health Officer Earl Stoner, Meritus Health Dr. Maulik Joshi, and Washington County Department of Business Development Director Susan Small provided an update to the public regarding where Washington County stands with the fight against COVID-19.

The press conference can be viewed on Washington County Government’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Press Conference: COVID-19 Update for Washington County

WASHINGTON COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

The Washington County Health Department is expanding free COVID-19 testing to vulnerable and hard to reach populations in Washington County. The health department is working with local towns and communities all over the county to bring mobile walk-in testing sites right to the local residents. Testing as these sites will be open to everyone and you do not need a doctors referral or an appointment to participate. The tests used are the quick nasal swap that takes about 15 seconds to administer. Please follow social distancing and masking guidelines when participating at these sites.

At this time we have scheduled free COVID-19 testing at the following location.

7/15: Hagerstown Fire Department – 25 Church Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740 from 8:00-11:00 a.m.
7/17: Boonsboro Police Station – 241 Potomac Street, Boonsboro, MD 21713 from 8:00-11:00 a.m.
7/24: Smithsburg (Veterans Park) – 68 W Water Street, Smithsburg, MD 21783 from 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

New locations will be announced on the Health Department’s website at https://washcohealth.org/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/ and on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WashHealth/

MERITUS HEALTH

MERITUS HEALTH DRIVE-THRU SCREENING CENTER

The drive-thru screening center for COVID-19 testing is now open for summer hours, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The drive-thru screening center is no longer open on weekends.

The screening center is located behind Meritus Medical Plaza at 13620 Crayton Blvd. Testing is available for anyone, including 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. There is no cost to the patient.

COUNTY EXPERIENCING COVID-19 TEST DELAYS DUE TO NATIONAL SUPPLY DISRUPTION

With the spike in COVID-19 cases nationally, there is a national supply disruption in reagent, a necessary lab solution needed to complete tests. This national disruption has impacted the testing at Meritus Health due to the unreliable availability of lab testing solution. As a result, COVID-19 test results may be delayed. To preserve the local reagent supply for those in our community who are most vulnerable, a third party lab vendor will begin being utilized for testing results. The turnaround time for test results from a third party lab vendor is expected to be about 3 to 5 days. If you have COVID-19 related questions, please call the COVID-19 Care Line at 301-790-9170.

The Washington County Emergency Operations Center and Meritus Health are taking all necessary steps to obtain additional reagent needed for testing.

COVID-19 ANTIBODY TESTING AVAILABLE LOCALLY

Antibody testing is available at all Meritus Medical Laboratory patient service centers. A lab order from a person’s primary care provider is required in order to have a COVID-19 antibody test. Antibody tests do not take the place of COVID-19 screening tests. Insurance or patients will be billed for antibody testing. Meritus Medical Laboratory locations and hours are available online at https://www.meritushealth.com/treatment-care/medical-lab/

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

Since restrictions remain in place for visitors at Meritus Medical Center, the hospital is offering virtual visits to connect patients with their families and friends. To setup a virtual visit, please contact the program’s coordinator at 240-313-3163.

WASHINGTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS – RETURN TO LEARN UPDATE

Survey for parents and guardians: The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting countless aspects of our daily lives. It will certainly affect the 2020-2021 school year. As Washington County Public Schools (WCPS) plans for how we educate children in the fall, it is important that we hear from families to help determine our best path forward.

WCPS has explored initial plans for the fall with the Students First COVID-19 Task Force, and we are moving forward with gathering additional stakeholder input this summer. Please give thoughtful consideration to completing the survey linked below. It is estimated that the survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. You are welcome to complete surveys for each of your children if they are in different designated grade bands. Your feedback is valuable in our decision-making process.

WCPS RETURN TO LEARN SURVEY

RISE UP BUSINESS STABILIZATION GRANT – DEADLINE EXTENDED!

The deadline for the Rise Up Business Stabilization Grant has been extended until Tuesday, July 21, 2020. This grant encourages small businesses in Washington County, Maryland that meet the criteria to submit an application. Grant applications are accepted and funds are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.

The application can be accessed by clicking here:

RISE UP GRANT APPLICATION

Applications will be accepted electronically and can be downloaded at www.washcorises.net. Details for submission are stated on the application. The website also provides guidelines, application instructions, and answers to frequently asked questions.

For questions regarding eligibility criteria or required documentation, please email [email protected].

WASHINGTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Visit www.washcorises.net for constantly updated resources and information to help you reopen your business.

Washington County Back to Business Posters – As businesses continue to reopen in Washington County, local business owners are encouraged to print out the documents below and post on your door or storefront. This will let customers know your business is taking precautions for them to receive the best service while maintaining health and safety standards. Click the graphics below to download and print.

Back to Business Toolkit
10 Things Businesses Should Do Now for Reopening
MD Strong Back to Business Pledge (please sign and post in your storefront)
Rise Up Washington County Business Stabilization Grant – DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO JULY 21ST – APPLY ONLINE NOW AT www.washcorises.net – Up to $10,000 for businesses under 50 employees and $5M in sales

UPCOMING WEBINARS

NFIB Free Webinar – Your EIDL and PPP Loan Questions Answered — SBA’s Loan Experts Explain the Rules

Join special guests, SBA representatives Kathy Cook and Melissa Loder, both experts in SBA loan programs, as they join NFIB’s Beth Milito and Holly Wade to dig into the details of SBA loan relief.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans, in particular, carry terms that may cause business owners to inadvertently default, so EIDL borrowers want to make sure they understand the rules.

The webinar will cover:

Loan types: Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
Spending rules for the EIDL program and understanding how the EIDL and PPP work together
How to ensure you achieve maximum PPP loan forgiveness

As always, the presenters will save time to answer your individual questions. You can submit your questions in advance by emailing [email protected]

Help Us Continue on Our Path to Reopen Washington County – Please ensure your business and customers continue to follow the recommended CDC guidelines as we reopen businesses and other activities across Washington County. Wearing masks inside, social distancing, regular hand washing, and expanded cleaning is still a critical part of keeping infection rates low – IT IS ALSO STATE LAW. By taking on these minor inconveniences, we can prevent a spike in infections which could force officials to slow down or even reverse the reopening process. The coronavirus has not gone away and we must stay vigilant until a vaccine is created. We all have a responsibility to do our part to help our economy reopen so that our many local businesses can survive and provide jobs for our citizens.

Attention Employers:

Maryland SBDC’s Post COVID-19 Small Business Recovery & Sustainability Guide. With the success of the Small Business Survival Guide, The Maryland Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is pleased to present part two, the Post COVID-19 Small Business Recovery & Sustainability Guide. The Recovery Guide is a compilation from several diverse resources including but not limited to: Executive Orders from Governor Larry Hogan, SBA, Maryland Department of Commerce, Maryland Department of Health, CDC and OSHA Guidelines for small businesses, US and Maryland Chamber of Commerce, America’s SBDC, Resource partners, etc. Also included are new business strategies and marketing tips to help businesses pivot and grow during and after this pandemic. Click Here For Recovery Guide. You can also find the link on the main page of our website: www.marylandsbdc.org

The Federal Government approved extending the deadline to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to August 8, 2020. Treasury and the SBA have issued more than 50 guidance documents and 20 regulations to answer the flood of PPP questions as well as a “Frequently Asked Questions” Document. The PPP Flexibility Act of 2020 allows for PPP borrowers to (a) defer payroll taxes; (b) extend use of PPP funds to 24-weeks; (c) benefit from a 5-year loan term; and (d) gain flexibility by lowering the percentage of loan proceeds that must be spent on payroll to 60%.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has produced a Forgiveness Guide, produced a “Forgiveness in 15 Minutes” video, and is partnering with AICPA to promote a free PPP forgiveness calculator. The rules around forgiveness continue to change. We encourage you to talk with the bank who processed your PPP loan regarding your forgiveness application.

Do you know a Washington County business that is going above and beyond to keep customers safe and healthy during COVID-19? Washington County Government is looking to highlight local businesses that are getting creative and using best business practices to maintain a safe and healthy environment as they return to business.

Nominations can be made at https://www.washco-md.net/together/.

Pictures and videos are encouraged with submission.

Together We Rise Business Spotlight’s will be featured on Washington County Government social media channels and website.

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.