District 6 Weekend Reader | Remaining Safe and Vigilant with the Rise in COVID-19 Cases

Seasons Greetings District 6 Residents,

We have officially entered the Winter season and  the rates of COVID-19 cases continue to increase throughout the County and statewide.  As anticipated, the holiday season will look vastly different than what we are familiar with. The County Health Department has important guidance for the upcoming holiday season and encourages everyone to plan for the Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve holidays.  It is strongly encouraged that all residents make plans to protect yourself, your family and your community from COVID-19 in preparation for the upcoming holiday celebrations, which it is my hope that the information provided will give you guidance in making this year's festivities enjoyable yet while remaining safe (click on the graphic to the left of the screen for additional information). If you must travel and gather this holiday season, please plan ahead to keep everyone safe and comfortable. Make all efforts to keep the number of attendees small and be sure to implement all safety precautions to include distancing at least six feet from each other, regular hand sanitizing and disinfection of high-tough surfaces.

As we move further into the 2021 holiday season, it is encouraged that you continue to practice COVID-19 safety protocols. The County Health Department is now offering booster shots of the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to all adults 18 and older based on the latest guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). County residents ages 18 years and older are eligible to receive a booster shot if they received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago. Additionally, the County Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Wayne K. Curry Sports and Learning Complex closed on Sunday, December 12. The County’s COVID-19 vaccination clinic has relocated to Prince George’s Community College at the Largo Student Center. While walk-ins are accepted, appointments are encouraged. Residents can learn more about clinic hours and find additional vaccination clinics here. More information and updates on the County's efforts to combat the COVID-19 virus can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.

The Weekend Reader is your snapshot of the latest news, initiatives, and events relative to District 6, along with county-wide updates.  It is always my goal to connect with many of you regarding issues affecting your communities, on ways where County officials/agencies may be of assistance and to ensure that you are engaged and informed through every possible channel.  You can sign up for the Council's weekly electronic newsletter, Council Connection, providing you with a weekly wrap-up of all Council activity including links to Council sessions, committee meetings, constituent resources as well as infographics and updated information on COVID-19 data trends.

If you have any questions or concerns, please provide your feedback via e-mail to councildistrict6@co.pg.md.us.

The Prince George's County Department of Parks & Recreation, in collaboration with Prince George's County Council Member Derrick Leon Davis, hosted two informative virtual community meetings this month to provide exciting updates on two exciting park initiatives that will bring aesthetic, recreational, and environmental benefits to our County.

In the Walker Mill Regional Park virtual community meeting last Thursday, attendees were given updates on the Master Development Plan, designed to establish a comprehensive vision for Walker Mill Regional Park, developing a blueprint that balances competing demands on the park’s resources, and responsibly guide development through the next 20-25 years. The blueprint will be shaped by recommendations generated from an analysis of information collected through multiple and varying civic engagement tools, and evaluation of existing site conditions, and a robust level of service assessments. A set of guiding principles will also be established with community members and key stakeholders to guide the planning process.

This past Tuesday evening, the Prince George's County Department of Parks & Recreation provided an overview of the development of Westphalia Central Park. the park, the funding strategy, and next steps for the development of Phase I. Phase I of Westphalia Central Park comprises major program spaces, including a performance lawn, signature playground, entrance plaza, and parking. Phase I roughing grading was started in 2019 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2021.

Westphalia Central Park is a 150-acre park that was planned and designed to provide an array of recreational amenities for residents in Westphalia and in the region. The land for the park was dedicated primarily by owner Smith Home Farms Project Owner (SHF) LLC as a required condition of development approval. Possible amenities include a recreation pond, plaza with pavilion structure, performance lawn, signature playground, picnic structures, volleyball courts, amphitheater, skate park, restrooms, bridges, and trails. The Central Park will be funded in part by SHF and other developers within the Westphalia Planning Area and by M-NCPPC’s Capital Improvement Program. The Central Park was planned to be constructed in phases. The black dashed area is the 50-acre Phase 1 boundary. Within Phase 1, the highlighted red dashed area will be constructed by SHF per the development approval (CDP-0501 Reconsideration).

If you missed either of these meetings, you can view them in their entirety by visiting the YouTube links below:

Walker Mill Virtual Community Meeting (December 9, 2021): https://youtu.be/VoxucHRhNDw

Westphalia Coffee & Chat (December 14, 2021): https://youtu.be/LN8ETDUow_8

Residents are encouraged to visit the official web portals for both the Walker Mill Regional Park Master Development Plan as well as Westphalia Central Park to review project descriptions and timelines. To access each page, please click on the aforementioned embedded weblinks or the Walker Mill and Westphalia Central Park graphics above.

WATCH: Exchange of the Gavel | Prince George's County Council Elects 2022 Leadership Team Chair Calvin Hawkins and Vice Chair Sydney Harrison

The Prince George’s County Council, convening virtually on Tuesday, December 8, 2021, for its Gavel Exchange ceremony, unanimously reelected At-Large Council Member Calvin S. Hawkins, II, to serve as Chair for Legislative Year 2022. Council Member Sydney Harrison (D- District 9) was unanimously elected by his colleagues to serve as Vice-Chair. Chair Hawkins and Vice-Chair Harrison will serve in leadership through December 6, 2022.  Chair Hawkins thanked his colleagues for the opportunity to serve as Chair, and for entrusting him with the Gavel of Leadership for a second consecutive year.  “I want to sincerely thank my distinguished colleagues on the Prince George’s County Council for the coveted privilege of presiding over this august body over the past Legislative Year. I am humbled beyond words to accept the Gavel of Leadership once again for Legislative Year 2022 and promise to meet the moment with integrity, unity, and clear purpose.”  

READ MORE 

Due to unforeseen technical issues, live streaming was not fully functional.  The Exchange of the Gavel session is now available for public viewing.  WATCH

The Prince George's County Council is now in December Recess. Council session are scheduled to resume in January.

Be sure to subscribe and review previous editions of Council Connection, the weekly wrap up of Council activity by visiting the Council Connection web portal.

Archived Council meetings can be viewed on Council Livestream page.

Service. Community. Progress. :
Legislative Branch Special Edition Annual Report

Beginning with the 2019 Federal shutdown to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the past two years have some unprecedented circumstances for all of us; none of which any of us have experienced in our lifetime. Through it all the Prince George's County Council has remained steadfast in its authority on legislative and business matters, zoning and land use matters in its role as the District Council and health policy matters as the Board of Health.  

Immediate Past Chair Todd M. Turner and the Prince George's County Council announce the Special Edition 2019/2020 Legislative Annual Report, "Service. Community. Progress. This two year edition provides narrative of the Council's focus through adverse times, while focusing on such issues including the Alternative Construction Financing and Maryland's Blueprint for the Future, the County Zoning Ordinance Rewrite, economic development and job growth, social justice issues and the annual budget process. To view the interactive publication, click the embedded link or click the Annual Report graphic to the left. To review previous Annual Reports, please visit the Legislative Annual Reports page at PGCCouncil.us.

COW meetings and County Council sessions are available for Live and On-Demand viewing HERE. To review meeting agendas in their entirety, CLICK HERE.

Food Resources

Stand Up & Deliver
Grab & Go Groceries AND/OR Meals

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of our County’s public school children received free and reduced lunch. Since this pandemic began, thousands of County residents have been laid off from work.

This has further compounded challenges and increased the limitations for many families to provide meals daily.  Additionally, our first responders and medical professionals who are fighting on the front lines of this pandemic rarely have an opportunity to stop serving and purchase a meal.

Additionally, our responders and medical professionals who are fighting on the front lines of this pandemic rarely have an opportunity to stop serving and purchase a meal.

With numerous goodwill inquiries, calls, and emails from the community-at-large to lend a helping hand and safely assist where needed, the “Stand Up & Deliver”  program was been established.  It is an innovative and targeted solution to build capacity for community-based organizations and small businesses to address the food insecurity and basic needs of our fellow Prince Georgians.

Through the County’s Stand Up & Deliver program, Prince George’s County will distribute groceries and meals to go today, Saturday, December 18 , 11:30am, at United Baptist Church, located at 7701 Riverdale Road, New Carrollton, Maryland 20784.

Additional food distribution locations for the week of December 19, 2021 are listed below:

Wednesday, December 22 at 12:30 PM (Groceries and/or Meals)

• Ebenezer Church of God – 7550 Buchanan Street, Landover Hills, MD 20784
• Kingdom Fellowship at High Point High School – 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
• Love A.M.E. Church at Capitol Heights Elementary School – 601 Suffolk Avenue, Capitol Heights, MD 20783
• Maple Springs Baptist Church – 4131 Belt Road, Capitol Heights, MD 20743
• New Home Baptist Church – 8320 Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785
• Victory Grace Center at Port Towns Elementary School – 4351 58th Place, Bladensburg, MD 20710

Additional food distribution locations can be found by visiting the following website. This map is updated regularly.

ALERT: Reopening of County
Government Buildings
(effective August 30, 2021)

Residents,

Effective Monday, August 30, 2021, County Government buildings reopened to the general public after months of planning for safe reopening and access to both citizens and employees. 

Please note that most County Government agencies will resume normal operations, encouraging residents to make appointments while also accepting walk-ins. Some agencies will require residents to make an appointment to receive in-person services. Residents are encouraged to review an agency’s website to verify if an appointment is needed prior to visiting, and for instructions on how appointments can be scheduled.

As a reminder, the current indoor public mask mandate applies to County Government buildings, meaning all employees and visitors must wear a mask regardless of your vaccination status.

To view a larger version of this flier, click the graphic above.

ALERT! The Office of Community Relations
Presents a New and Improved PGC311

The Office of Community Relations made several new updates to the PGC311 system, creating a more efficient and collaborative experience when engaging with your local government along with an easier way to submit service requests and find information.

You can now submit service requests 24/7 through our new mobile app, desktop web portal, or by calling the PGC311 Call Center. And that’s not all! Here are some key features:

• Real-time updates: Previously, when you submitted a service request, you would get a message letting you know the request was submitted and then wait for someone to service your ticket. Now, you'll be able to submit your service ticket and receive real-time updates about when your ticket was received, the expected completion date, and an alert after the ticket is completed and closed.
• Knowledge articles: You’ll now have short articles that will help you process your service request and let you know what you need to do to be sure there is no delay in completing your request. We will also feature articles that allow you to quickly get answers to commonly asked questions.
• Easily submit a service request: When submitting your service request, you can now submit pictures to help us better understand what needs to be serviced and where.

The goal is to continue providing residents with exceptional service and bring new technologies to help you easily engage with your County government. Your feedback is welcomed throughout the rolling out of the new system and service offerings. If you’d like to learn more, please visit ocr.mypgc.us/PGC311.

LISTEN: COVID-19 Tele Town Hall and Community Update (December 7)

On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and County health officials hosted a COVID-19 Vaccine Tele-Town Hall to provide updates on vaccines for children ages 5-11 and COVID-19 booster shots for adults and answer questions submitted by the general public.

To access the recording, please visit the embedded weblink or click on the Tele Town Hall graphic above.

WATCH: Board of Education Transformation Task Force Listening Session (December 15)

The Prince George’s County Board of Education Task Force was established to study and review the duties, responsibilities, powers, and composition of the Prince George’s County Board of Education.

During its public meetings, the Task Force will host experts, advocates, internal and external stakeholders, and others to gather information to fulfill the mission of the Task Force. The Task Force will provide written recommendations no later than January 14th, 2022, and will be comprised of a cross-section of Prince George’s County, including members of the community, Prince George’s County Schools, and individuals with expertise, specialties, and relevant backgrounds who can provide insightful and useful input.

To watch this week's Board of Education Transformation Task Force Listening Session, please visit the following YouTube weblink: https://youtu.be/0xn3vY0AC04. Residents are invited to visit the Board of Education Task Force webpage to access related documents and links to previous meetings: https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/4135/Board-of-Education-Task-Force.

REMINDER:
COVID-19 Booster Shots
(UPDATED: As of December, 2021)

The Prince George’s County Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccination clinics offer booster shots of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to any County resident age 18 and older following the FDA’s emergency use authorization, the CDC’s official recommendation, and the State of Maryland’s approval.

Federal and state health regulators expanded the eligibility of booster shots to all adults who have received their initial two doses Pfizer or Moderna; booster shots for adults who received Johnson & Johnson were approved in October 2021.  COVID-19 booster shots are also available at retail and grocery pharmacies, doctor’s offices, and other healthcare providers throughout the County.

Visit mypgc.us/COVIDvaccine for more information about COVID-19 vaccinations, including locations and hours of operation for vaccine clinics operated by the County and other public and private organizations.

REMINDER: COVID-19 Vaccines Now
Available for Five to 11-Year Olds

Beginning Monday, November 8, residents ages five years and older will be able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for free at the school mobile clinics. The clinics will operate Monday through Friday during after school hours at multiple schools throughout the County through mid-December. COVID-19 vaccines for eligible children will also be available at many pediatricians’ offices, retail and grocery store pharmacies, hospitals, and other health care providers throughout the County. COVID-19 vaccine appointments for children ages 5 and older in Prince George’s County are now available at the Sports and Learning Complex. Register here for an appointment.  Starting next week, the Health Department will operate COVID-19 vaccine clinics at County schools for residents ages five and older. Click here to make an appointment for your child at COVID-19 vaccine clinics at County schools.

Watch this brief YouTube video as Health Officer Dr. Ernest Carter answers the question, “Should I get my child vaccinated against COVID-19?”  

To review additional information on COVID-19 vaccines for children 5-11, click the graphic above.

3^rd Doses for Immunocompromised Individuals

Beginning Friday, August 20, the County Health Department began to administer third doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to immunocompromised residents (those with weakened immune systems) at the Sports & Learning Complex.

At this time, the CDC and FDA have not authorized additional Pfizer or Moderna doses for the general population, or for anyone who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Eligible immunocompromised residents seeking a third dose do not need to receive it through the County Health Department.

Click on the flyer to the left to review additional details on eligibility and timeframe in which to receive the 3rd dose. To find the nearest vaccine site, visit: mypgc.us/COVIDVaccine.

REMINDER: Prince George's
County Mask Mandate Expansion

Please be advised that effective Wednesday, October 6, 2021, all Prince George's County residents and visitors over the age of 2 are required to wear masks in all indoor public venues and businesses in Prince George’s County. “From the outset of this pandemic, we have been focused on policies that support the health and safety of our residents, while also ensuring residents and businesses have the resources they need to get by,” said  Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. “We want to thank Prince Georgians for working together through this pandemic, because we have shown that we are a strong and resilient community where residents can always count on one another.”  To watch the press conference in its entirety, please visit the following embedded weblink. You may also review the official press release to gather additional details on the mask mandate expansion.  

The Health Department wants to remind residents that masks are required in all indoor public venues and businesses in Prince George’s County, including, but is not limited to restaurants, retail stores, entertainment venues, conference centers, and office settings. Similar to previous mask mandates, some exceptions apply, such as when an individual is actively eating or drinking or individuals who have a bona fide disability that prevents them from wearing a mask. Face coverings help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the more contagious Delta variant, which is still spreading at a high rate nationwide, especially among the unvaccinated.

This pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation, so it’s even more important to keep yourselves and your communities informed about COVID-19 and the latest updates by visiting the Prince George's COVID-19 Dashboard, designed to providing the latest information on COVID-19 data trends to the public. The
Prince George's Health Department is working closely with state and federal partners and is committed
to keeping all residents, employees, and visitors to Prince George’s County safe and healthy. Additional guidance can be found on the County's official Coronavirus web portal including fact sheets and various infographics to assist in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Be Safe. Be Well. Be Informed.

Who Is Eligible?

Who can receive a COVID-19 vaccine? All Marylanders over 5 years of age! Getting the vaccine protects you, your loved ones, and your community.

#DidYouKnow that appointments are no longer necessary at all COVID-19 vaccine clinics operated by the County Health Department? Individuals who live or work in the County can walk up to County Health Department vaccination clinics with no appointment needed. However, should residents wish to book an appointment in advance, they can visit mypgc.us/COVIDVaccine.

While the County Health Department now operates only one standing vaccination clinic in the County, in addition to nine mobile vaccination units, there are a number of vaccination sites available in Prince George’s County that are not operated by the County. Please remember that the County does not manage nor control appointments or distribution for any sites besides those operated by our County Health Department.

Prince George’s County Health Department

• Locations: The Sports & Learning Complex and Mobile Vaccination Units.
• Appointments: Individuals who live or work in Prince George’s County should visit mypgc.us/COVIDVaccine to view clinic hours or schedule an appointment directly. Individuals who cannot schedule an appointment online on their own should call 311 and press # for assistance.
• Residents can also view a calendar of mobile vaccination clinics here.

For State Regulated Sites:

Additional Non-County Operated Sites 

• Please use our County Vaccine Locator to find additional vaccination sites operated by pharmacies, hospitals and other healthcare partners.

Please remember that the County does not manage nor control appointments, or
distribution for any sites besides those operated by our County Health Department.

COVID-19 Symptoms Reminder

Be sure you know the symptoms of COVID-19 and the warning signs if you need to get medical help right away. The County Health Department urges residents to get tested if you feel sick or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19 (or you suspect you have been exposed after attending large social or mass gatherings). It’s also a good idea to get tested before traveling. To find testing locations across the County and for additional testing information, visit health.mypgc.us/COVIDtesting.