April 13, 2020
Media Contact:
Scott Peterson, Director of Communications, Office of Public Information, 202-277-9412
ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Today, the Howard County Health Department confirmed additional deaths due to coronavirus in Howard County, bringing the total deaths in Howard County to nine. The additional deaths were two women in their 60s, two women in their 80s, a man in his 30s, and a man in his 60s.
“Our hearts break for these residents and their loved ones, we cannot emphasize enough how serious this virus is, it is impacting everyone,” said County Executive Calvin Ball. “I urge residents to only interact with their household unless necessary, we are facing an unprecedented situation, and we must all work together to limit the spread of COVID-19.”
Office of Emergency Management
Michael Hinson, who was previously serving as Acting Director for the Office of Emergency Management, was officially appointed as the Director, effective April 13, 2020. Hinson began serving as Acting Director on Feb. 28th after the previous Director, William Anuszewski was appointed as Acting Fire Chief.
Horizon Foundation announced $1 million in new COVID-19 emergency grants. The new funding has been earmarked for a range of efforts including: supporting Howard County’s health care institutions and front-line health care workers; enabling safe distancing for people in the county’s only general homeless shelter and in residential programs for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities; and supporting local mental health needs.
The $1 million in grants will go toward the following:
- Howard County General Hospital: $500,000 – To keep front line health care workers safe, housed and fed as they fight the pandemic working over multiple shifts and to provide technology to support patients’ communication with loved ones who cannot visit during the state of emergency.
- Health Facilities Association of Maryland: $125,000 – To provide personal protective equipment, food and temporary housing for front line health care workers at 25 assisted living, skilled nursing and other alternative living facilities in Howard County, and to provide technology so that patients can better engage with loved ones who cannot visit during the state of emergency.
- Mental Health: $100,000 – To various organizations to support mental health needs during the pandemic.
- Humanim: $75,000 – To support safe distancing for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities in residential programs, to provide personal protective equipment for staff and to provide food for front line health care workers through the City Seeds program, which also provides jobs for individuals with barriers to employment.
- Chase Brexton Health Care: $50,000 – To provide technology to support telecommuting and telehealth opportunities and to provide COVID-19 protective equipment and cleaning supplies at the county’s only federally qualified health care center, which provides affordable services to patients, including those who are uninsured.
- Gilchrist Hospice: $50,000 – To provide COVID-19 protective equipment and cleaning supplies and to provide technology so that patients can better engage with loved ones who cannot visit during the state of emergency.
- Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center: $50,000 – To provide temporary housing to homeless individuals and families to enable safe physical distancing and better protection from COVID-19 spread and to provide protective equipment and cleaning supplies for staff.
- The Arc of Howard County: $50,000 – To support safe distancing for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities in residential programs and to provide personal protective equipment for staff.
Howard County General is accepting COVID-19 response donations, both in-kind and financial contributions:
- Care for Caregivers. Through financial gifts from individuals and businesses, Howard Hospital Foundation is purchasing meals from local restaurants at approximately $9,000 per day for the hospital staff who are working around the clock to care for the community. The foundation cannot accept homemade food for infection control purposes. Donations can be made online at HCGH.org/give. For more information, email HCGH-Foundation@jhmi.edu.
- Financial gifts. Donations supporting Howard County General Hospital’s work addressing the COVID-19 crisis can be made online at HCGH.org/give.
- Personal protective equipment and disinfecting supplies. Howard Hospital Foundation is accepting unused N95 face masks, surgical masks, safety goggles, face shields, disposable gowns, nonlatex gloves, unopened bottles of hand sanitizer, unopened containers of disinfecting and bleach wipes and powered, air-purifying respirators (PAPR) to be used should shortages arise. Contact Howard Hospital Foundation Development Associate Diane Stulman at dstulma1@jhmi.edu or 410-913-7473 to coordinate delivery.
- Hand-sewn cloth masks. Cotton fabric masks assembled following Johns Hopkins Medicine’s instructions can be used in nonpatient care settings to contain coughs and remind people not to touch their faces. The masks are not medical grade and cannot be used by health care providers as protection from COVID-19 during patient-provider interactions. Finished masks can be dropped off in a bin at the Medical Arts Building at 11085 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, adjacent to the hospital.
Howard County Detention Center Status
While other corrections facilities have reported confirmed cases of coronavirus, the Howard County Detention Center, a County-operated facility, has no symptomatic staff or inmates or confirmed cases of the coronavirus at this time. Additionally, intake continues to be low as arrests are down and courts have very limited activity.
The Howard County Detention Center continues to implement all recommendations from the Center for Disease Control for jails and prisons to manage the coronavirus. This includes:
- Ensuring inmates have adequate soap, disinfected wipes and access to hand sanitizer;
- All inmates have been issued two surgical masks;
- All persons entering the facility are temperature checked and symptom screened;
- All persons entering must use hand sanitizer and/ or hand wash before entering;
- Daily cleaning and sanitizing of the facility are occurring around the clock;
- Entry into the facility is limited to those who provide essential services;
- All inmate intakes are held in quarantine for at least 14 days and medically cleared before placed in general population;
- All new intakes are receiving daily temperature checks and screenings by medical staff; and
- All inmates have daily sick calls to address any medical concerns.
Alpha Ridge Landfill
Earlier today, Alpha Ridge Landfill announced modified operations. At this time the Alpha Ridge Landfill remains open with normal operating hours (Mon - Sat, 8am - 4pm) but should only be used by residents who do not have curbside collection service (either provided by the County or a private hauler). The landfill services are experiencing non-essential visits from residents in direct violation of Governor Hogan’s ‘Stay at Home’ Executive Order.