 March 18, 2020
Dear Baltimoreans,
Today, I declared a local State of Emergency that went into effect at 12:01 p.m.
This declaration helps remove roadblocks, and allows Baltimore to speed up its ability to quickly and forcefully respond to the evolving threat from COVID-19.
The emergency declaration helps us more easily procure goods and services in order to better support and protect our residents and first responders.
My emergency declaration will remain in effect for at least 30 days, and may be renewed based on how the virus progresses.
A key area of focus for the City as we navigate the state of emergency remains the expansion of our ability to provide meals to students out of school and to our older adults.
We recently convened an Emergency Food Insecure Response Team of key agencies and community partners that are coordinating their work through the city’s Emergency Operations Center. We are using a strategic, coordinated approach to provide coverage, and will continue to grow the number of food distribution sites across the city.
We also unveiled a new interactive map for the public that displays citywide food distribution site locations.
On the first day of the city’s emergency response, 60 school and recreation center sites distributed more than 2,000 meals to young people, age 18 and under. In partnership with City Schools, Recreation & Parks, the Family League, the Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) and other community partners, the city is rapidly growing its effort, and increasing daily the number of sites and meals distributed at schools, recreation centers and mobile delivery route stops.
Starting today, DHCD is adding three mobile routes to our food distribution lineup for young people, and on Monday, March 23rd, it will bring five community-based meal distribution sites online. The City of Baltimore is aggressively pushing to scale-up this effort while also being very mindful of all the public health requirements associated with social distancing.
Baltimore’s current emergency food response for older adults is prioritized to provide food to residents ages 60 and older who live alone, have disabilities, have limited access to food, and do not have a family member in the Baltimore area to help. This week the focus has been on best practices for serving that population.
This strategy has four main components:
- Residential senior housing facilities
- Home-delivered meals to homebound individuals
- Online food delivery through the Virtual Balti-Market program
- Fielding requests through the Maryland Access Point
Baltimore’s seven City operated senior centers have been designated as pickup points where seniors can receive a boxed lunch.
Our Emergency Food Insecure Response Team is coordinating with Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, and delivered more than 1,400 meals to residents just yesterday.
The Virtual Balti-market program has seen an increase in the number of orders placed as more residents practice social distancing and stay in their homes. This week the program has scheduled 152 deliveries to nine senior housing sites across the city.
Any City resident age 60 and over, or a family member concerned about an older relative without food, should call Maryland Access Point at 410-396-2273 (CARE).
For more information on the COVID-19 virus, click here.
Sincerely,
Mayor Young
On Wednesday, Mayor Young announced that he'd instructed the Department of Finance to pause the annual tax sale process.
The tax sale is used to collect delinquent real property taxes and other unpaid charges owed to the City, all of which are liens against the real property. It is a public, online auction of City lien interests on properties. The highest bidder in the auction pays the total amount of the property liens to the City and receives a tax sale certificate from the City which gives the bidder the right to obtain ownership of the property by filing a tax sale foreclosure lawsuit.
"I understand that many of our residents are facing difficult burdens," Mayor Young said. "That’s why I have taken a number of executive actions in advance to help our residents during this difficult time."
Every business is being affected by #COVID19.
The Baltimore Development Corporation is coordinating with City and State agencies and the federal government to identify resources available for businesses. Let us know how you are being affected by taking this business impact survey: http://bit.ly/2wc7hXG
Note: This information is confidential and will not be shared publicly in any detail, only in aggregate figures as a guide for policy makers. Any specific comments by businesses in terms of revenue figures or layoffs will not be attributed to a specific business to protect their propriety information.
Please click the image to view the Mayor's comprehensive press briefing or visit: https://www.youtube.com/user/TV25BCOCC
Closures and Cancellations
Pratt Library to Close to the Public
The Enoch Pratt Free Library will close 22 locations to the public from March 14 to March 30. This is on the advice of health officials to promote social distancing. The health and well-being of customers and staff remains the top priority.
“This is an incredibly difficult decision because we know how many customers rely on our libraries,” says Pratt Library President and CEO Heidi Daniel. “We are working with the city to determine how our building could be utilized by emergency responders.”
The Pratt will continue to provide online resources to the public throughout this time. Telephone reference service will continue to be available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All renewals are waived and cards will remain active. If customers already have library books, they do not need to return them until the Pratt returns to normal business hours.
The Pratt Library will continue to work closely with the Mayor's Office and Baltimore City Health Department to reassess the situation in the coming weeks.
Baltimore City Public Schools to Close from March 16 to March 27, 2020
At the direction of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), all public schools in the state including Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) will close all campuses effective March 16, 2020 to March 27, 2020. All school building activities including school day instruction, child care, health services, enrichment, professional development, athletics and club sports, preschool are canceled during this time.
City Schools will also operate an emergency food service program at least eight sites from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning Monday, March 16, 2020, through Friday, March 20, 2020. Students will be able to receive grab-and-go free breakfast and lunch meals. The sites will be announced by Sunday, March 15, 2020 and will be listed on the Health Updates webpage. More information
City Orders Suspension of City-Operated Senior Center Buildings
Effective immediately, all discretionary activities are temporarily suspended for older adults, including all programming at the seven City-operated senior center buildings. These programs include all special events, class activities and vocational trips involving older adults. Older adults and people with underlying health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease are at the highest risk for serious illness of COVID-19.
The City-operated senior centers will remain staffed to assist older adults and continue to provide meals, supplies, and information and referral services to those who need it. Planned activities involving mass gatherings, trips and classes will be suspended.
Starting Monday, March 16, 2020, the Baltimore City Health Department will provide boxed lunches at congregate meal sites to allow participants the choice to take their meals home to eat. If there are factors that prevent participants from picking up a meal, meals can be delivered as an option by calling the Maryland Access Point at 410-396-CARE (2273), for eligibility into the home-delivered meal program. More information
Maryland Courts Suspend Jury Trials Through April 3rd
All civil and criminal jury trials in the Circuit Courts throughout the state of Maryland scheduled to begin on March 16, 2020, through April 3, 2020, shall be suspended on an emergency basis pending further Order of the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals.
Speedy Trial
Maryland Rule 4-271 requires that the trial of a criminal defendant be held within 180 days after the earlier of the appearance of counsel or the first appearance of the defendant before the circuit court. In criminal matters with jury trials pending during the above time period, county administrative judges shall hold hearings as necessary to resolve Maryland Rule 4-271 issues in individual cases and to set a new trial date. More information
Baltimore City Department of Human Resources Releases Emergency Coronavirus Plan
This week, the Baltimore City Department of Human Resources released an emergency coronavirus plan outlining staffing strategies, tools, advice, and directives that City agencies should follow in the event of a coronavirus outbreak or other emergency in the city. The 32-page plan details steps that city agencies are required or advised to take to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak. More information
|
