 Health Department and Commissioners Announce First Case of COVID-19 in Carroll County; Recommend Additional Measures to Slow Spread of Virus
Westminster, MD (March 14, 2020) – The Carroll County Health Department and Board of County Commissioners jointly announced the first case of COVID-19 in Carroll County today at a press conference. The man is a Carroll County resident in his 40s who has not traveled abroad. He has very mild symptoms and is recovering at home. The Health Department will investigate this case with the help of the Maryland Department of Health. Communicable Disease nurses will identify contacts and advise them of any actions they should take. The Health Department will share information as soon as possible if any risk to the public is identified.
Six additional cases were announced in Maryland today, and Wednesday the first case of community spread in Maryland was detected in Prince George’s County. Community spread means that the person got sick with no known exposure to a person with COVID-19 or travel to an area where COVID-19 is spreading.
In an extension of Governor Hogan’s Executive Order prohibiting large gatherings and events and closing senior centers, the Carroll County Health Department and the Board of County Commissioners also announced that they strongly recommend that all large gatherings and events in Carroll County be cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19.
Canceling or postponing large events such as sporting events, religious services, and other social and community events helps to slow the spread of an infectious disease. “Slowing the spread of COVID-19 is essential to keep our health care system from being overwhelmed,” said Ed Singer, Carroll County Health Officer. “In Italy, they were not able to implement such measures soon enough, and their hospitals and other health care centers are exceeding their capacity and struggling to care for patients. We’re not expecting most people to have severe illness with COVID-19 – most cases are mild. We just want to make sure that people have the care they need
when they need it, whether they have COVID-19 or are in a car accident or are having a baby, and we can do that if we slow the spread and reduce the impact on our health care system.”
Carroll County officials did not suggest a specific limit on the size of a gathering, but when it is possible to postpone, cancel, or hold meetings or services using web-based services or conference calls, it is highly recommended. It is not clear when these recommendations will be lifted; it depends on the spread of COVID-19.
“Social distancing measures like canceling events, closing schools, and allowing employees to telework are very important,” said Steve Wantz, President of the Board of County Commissioners. “The extraordinary measures put forth by the governor will help protect all of our citizens, especially the most vulnerable to this disease – older adults and people with chronic health conditions. Some of the restrictions may be inconvenient, but we can all do our part to help our community, our state, and our country.”
Singer and Wantz were joined at the press conference by several community leaders, who discussed how their organizations were taking steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including Commissioners Ed Rothstein and Richard Weaver; Jim DeWees, Carroll County Sheriff; Brian DeLeonardo, Carroll County State’s Attorney; Dr. Steve Lockard, Superintendent of Carroll County Public Schools; Mark Olszyk, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs at Carroll Hospital; Tom Jeffers, Corporate Director of Emergency Management for LifeBridge Health; Dr. Henry Taylor, Deputy Health Officer and Medical Director for the Carroll County Health Department; Dr. James D. Ball, President, Carroll Community College; Roberta Windham, County Administrator, Carroll County; Valerie Hawkins, Carroll County Emergency Manager; Scott Campbell, Director, Public Safety; and Celene Steckel, Director, Citizen Services.
Local agencies are working to maintain essential services, like providing meals to children and seniors in need. Individuals can contact those agencies directly for more information. “We’re all in this together,” said Singer. “Though we aren’t all at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19, we can all take steps to reduce the spread and help take care of our community.”
The Health Department’s COVID-19 call center will be open 8 am – 5 pm this Saturday and Sunday; the number is 410-876-4848. Call takers cannot share any additional details about the
case, but can help answer residents’ questions. After hours, callers may leave a message or call 2-1-1. People with emergencies should continue to call 9-1-1.
Accurate COVID-19 information is critical to the community. For the most current and accurate information about this situation, please refer to the following:
Carroll County Health Department (CCHD): https://cchd.maryland.gov/covid-19/
Maryland Department of Health (MDH): https://health.maryland.gov/pages/home.aspx
Centers for Disease Control (CDC): coronavirus.gov
The press conference can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/kd0ms8OVSbM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Maggie Kunz,
Carroll County Health Department,
410-876-4924
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