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The President of the United States just declared the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic a national emergency. We understand this is a difficult time for you and your families. While addressing the public health challenge remains our highest priority, we also recognize the wide-ranging impacts this is having on your daily lives and the uncertainty and anxiety it is causing.
Our community will get through this. Please look out for and help your neighbors and local businesses in the weeks and months to come. Our State and our County have been preparing for weeks and are working closely with one another to make adjustments based on the expertise of public health and medical professionals.
At the Council, we are in daily communication with the County Executive’s office, the County’s Public Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles, and the Office of Emergency Management. Limiting the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring our health care professionals are able to help those infected will require significant changes to our everyday routines.
UPDATES
As you’ve likely heard by now, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be closed beginning Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27. MCPS will provide more information on plans for makeup days on Tuesday, March 17. Montgomery County Recreation Centers and Public Libraries will be closed beginning Monday, March 16 and Montgomery Parks programs and indoor facilities will close from March 16 through March 31. Effective yesterday, Montgomery County is following the state’s guidelines to limit public gatherings to no more than 250 people and encouraging everyone in the private sector to do the same.
In order to protect those with unanticipated illness or lost wages, Judge Patricia Mitchell has suspended all eviction orders for the next 15 days. WSSC has suspended all water service shutoffs. Pepco is suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment fees through at least May 1.
These measures are designed to try and slow down the spread of COVID-19.
Stay prepared and be conscientious. If you’re sick, stay home. If you think you are ill and need medical care, you should call ahead to your medical provider and let them know you are coming. Medical providers are screening for COVID-19 using federally-mandated criteria. You can speak to a nurse by calling 240-777-1755.
It’s important to know the first three confirmed members of our County community who tested positive for COVID-19 last week have completed treatment and are now cleared of the disease. The six other members of our County community who have tested positive as of this writing are also doing well and recovering at home.
There are a number of resources for other information at your fingertips:
Our next Friday With Friedson, set for Friday, March 20th at Java Nation, is postponed. Please look out for more details soon on a new date for this event.
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