The Board of County Commissioners has issued a Declaration of Emergency effective Sunday March 22, 2020 at 5:00 PM local time. This is due to the public health catastrophe and public emergency as cited in the Governor of Maryland’s Declaration of Emergency issued on March 5, 2020.
This declaration on the local level provides additional powers and resources to our County Departments to deal with the COVID-19 situation. The Garrett County Health Department is the lead agency in this emergency and is supported by all county departments under the coordination of the Department of Emergency Services.
We request the public heed the orders of our public and health officials to limit social contact to reduce the threat of spreading the COVID-19 virus.
“This is not a response rooted in panic but this a global situation that is now beginning to directly impact our community,” said County Administrator Kevin Null. “This declaration will provide access to state and federal resources we will need to manage this situation.”
The Garrett County Emergency Operations Center is activated.
Note that the Garrett County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is activated to offer an inter-agency strategic response to this global pandemic at the local level.
“This EOC team is essential for managing a potential public health emergency and will provide a coordinated effort to mitigate risk and disruption for all Garrett County citizens,” said Garrett County Board of County Commissioners Chair Paul Edwards. “We are well prepared here but the reality is that COVID-19 is here and we have to stay diligent in limiting the spread.”
In addition to the items listed in the included declaration, the Board of County Commissioners have made the following changes in county government operations to protect the public and employees and to reduce the threat of further spread of the COVID-19 virus:
- All county departments will operate with essential services only. All county offices will be closed to the public effective, Monday, March 23, 2020.
- The Garrett County Landfill and collection sites will remain open, with limited hours, to allow for trash removal to continue. Specific operating hours for the Landfill and collection sites are to be determined.
Please do not call 911 for COVID-19 questions. Our health department’s COVID-19 call center can be reached at 301-334-7698.
For the video of the briefing, please visit https://youtu.be/4PKJm2BDTDA
Please check the county website, https://www.garrettcounty.org/covid-19, for the latest information.
