Symptoms of Coronavirus include:

• Fever
• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• In more severe cases, pneumonia

If you have these symptoms, call your doctor first. If your doctor is unavailable or you don’t have one, call the local health department or emergency room before you go. You can reach the Baltimore County Coronavirus hotline at 410-887-3816.

Right now, testing is prioritized for hospitalized and chronic care patients, symptomatic first responders, and symptomatic nursing home patients. The governor has enacted an emergency order to authorize a fast-track process to bring more testing capacity online without FDA approval.

University of Maryland Medical Center has established a free 24/7 Nurse Call Line that you can call with questions about the Coronavirus/COVID-19. More Information is here, or call  1-888-713-0711. Due to the high volume of calls, callers may have to hold for an extended period of time, but all calls will be answered.

The Maryland Health Connection is open for a special enrollment period through April 15 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. If you don’t have health insurance, don’t wait until you get sick: sign up now. Start here.

If you are in a domestic violence situation, help is available. Call the Baltimore County Domestic Violence Hotline for assistance: 410-828-6390

If you are feeling depressed, anxious, or isolated, help is available, even if you can't afford it. It's natural to feel overwhelmed or anxious in a crisis like this, particularly if you are alone and cut off from normal support networks. Finding a mental health professional to talk to can help.

The Pro Bono Counseling project can help connect you with a licensed mental health provider at no cost. You can call 410-825-1001 from 9am to 2pm Monday through Friday. See their website for more information.

The Mental Health Association of Maryland has a webpage of resources, including urgent crisis support information.

The Maryland Department of Health is requiring personnel interacting with staff in nursing homes to use PPE, and the state is prioritizing nursing homes in the highest category to receive PPE. Nursing homes are required to use the most expeditious method possible to get testing results; currently that's generally the state lab. Maryland has also created strike teams of medical professionals and National Guard to assist nursing homes dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks.
Read the latest orders here and here.

The American Diabetes Association is providing support and guidance to constituents impacted by diabetes, who are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. You can access helpful resources, understand your risk, know your legal rights, and connect with community at www.diabetes.org/coronavirus-covid-19. Make sure you know how to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19 and what to do if you or a loved one develops symptoms. In addition, many people are now facing unexpected financial hardships. If you are struggling to pay for insulin, the ADA has resources to help - visit InsulinHelp.org. Questions? The American Diabetes Association is here to help during this challenging time: go to www.diabetes.org/coronavirus-covid-19 or call their Center for Information at 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383)

Baltimore County Public Schools is distributing meals for students under 18 on weekdays 11am-1pm at schools around the county. See Baltimore County Locations here, or use the lookup map on mdsummermeals.org

Families with food needs can pick up a box of groceries on Saturdays from 11am-1pm at 11 sites around Baltimore County. More information and locations here.

Baltimore County also has a map to look up food distribution sites.

See the Baltimore County Food Resources page for more information.

If you have questions or need assistance with food access, call 410-887-2594 or email food@baltimorecountymd.gov.

If you are a senior or assisting a senior with food access needs, call 410-887-2954 or email aginginfo@baltimorecountymd.gov

All restaurants are currently closed for dining in, but carry out and delivery are allowed. Baltimore County has created a map of restaurants that are open for pick up or delivery during the COVID-19 crisis. View the map here.

Restaurants can be added to the map using this form.

Child care centers are required to close as of the end of the day on March 27, except for regulated child care centers designated for essential personnel during the state of emergency.  These regulated centers are subject to strict regulations regarding cleaning, sanitizing, hand washing, and child care provider education.

Child care at these centers is available at NO COST to designated essential personnel.

See a list of jobs considered essential here.

Parents who meet these criteria can call 877-261-0060 Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM to find a child care center, or search online here.

Baltimore County Senior Centers are closed indefinitely for the emergency.

Seniors can call the Maryland Access Point hotline at 410-887-2594. Calls are answered by a team of Certified Information and Assistance Specialists (CIRS), Monday through Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Seniors can sign up for Senior Call Check, a free service from the Maryland Department of Aging that calls participants every day to check on them. I highly recommend this service for seniors living alone during this COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for more information and to sign up, or call 1-866-50-CHECK (1-866-502-0560).

Many stores have special senior shopping hours, when seniors can have the store to themselves for their protection. Here is a list of some of them. Call your local store to verify whether and when they have senior shopping hours.

COVID-19 information for Seniors from Maryland Department of Aging.

Baltimore County Public Schools are closed through at least April 24. A continuity of learning plan will be released the week of March 30, and new learning materials will be available on April 6. More information here.

Trash and recycling are still being picked up in Baltimore County. Please tightly bag your trash to protect trash collectors and the community. Yard waste collection is suspended indefinitely.

Baltimore County’s Residential Drop-Off Centers will be closed to the Public until further notice. The following sites will remain open only for commercial haulers with accounts.

• Eastern Sanitary Landfill 6259 Days Cove Road 21162
• Central Acceptance Facility 201 West Warren Road 21030
• Western Acceptance Facility 3310 Transway Road 21227

• Maryland has prohibited residential or commercial evictions, suspended foreclosures, and prohibited repossessing cars, trucks, or mobile homes. Read the Executive Order.
• Baltimore County has suspended evictions and water shutoffs due to failure to pay for the duration of the emergency.
• BGE is suspending service disconnections and waiving new late payment charges at least until May 1
• Comcast is suspending disconnections and late fees for the next 60 days, but you must contact them to let them know you’re unable to pay. In addition, they are temporarily pausing data plan limits and providing free WiFi hotspots at business and outdoor locations. Find a location near you here. Note: some businesses listed may be closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Under emergency legislation passed by the General Assembly and a new Executive Order from Governor Hogan, price gouging on essential goods and services due to the emergency is prohibited. This prevents sellers from raising the price on scarce resources to take advantage of shortages. Retailers may not raise the price to increase their profit by more than 10%. More information here. Violators face up to a $10,000 fine for each infraction.

To report price gouging, the Attorney General advises:

• Take a photograph of the product and price.
• Provide details of the store and product.
• Email the information to consumer@oag.state.md.us. You may also call a consumer hotline at 410-528-8662.

Groups of ten or more people are prohibited under the state of emergency. This restriction is essential to slow down the spread of the virus and protect our community, so please respect the order. Gatherings of more than ten people are a public health emergency. You can report them by calling 410-887-8322 or call 911 directly.

All non-essential businesses are ordered to close as of 5pm on Monday, March 23. Here’s a list of businesses considered essential and not required to close.

The Baltimore Sun also has a list.

When shopping at essential businesses, please be sure to keep separation from other people, and use sanitary precautions such as wiping cart handles, using hand sanitizer, and washing hands thoroughly afterwards.

Baltimore County Public Libraries are closed indefinitely. Bookdrops are locked. If you have materials you checked out before the closure, they may be held and returned after the library reopens. No extended loan fees will accrue during the closure. 

The library has ebooks, audiobooks, and movies available online or for downloading to your device. If you don’t have a library card to access them, you can register here. Baltimore County Public Schools students’ identification numbers can also serve as virtual library cards.

Beware: scammers are out there taking advantage of the fear and uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis. Please check out these tips on avoiding COVID-19 scams from the Baltimore County Police Department. 

Work search requirements for unemployment have been suspended due to the State of Emergency.

Due to high call volume, the Maryland Department of Labor has set up a schedule for calling:

• If your last name starts with A - F, file your claim on Monday.
• If your last name starts with G - N, file your claim on Tuesday.
• If your last name starts with O - Z, file your claim on Wednesday.
• Claim filing is open to all last names by phone on Thursday and Friday and online Thursday through Sunday.
• Filing later in the week will not delay your payments or affect the date of your claim.

Apply for Unemployment Here

The federal CARES act provides for temporary emergency unemployment insurance coverage for individuals who don't usually qualify, such as independent contractors and gig workers. The Maryland Department of Labor doesn't yet have the technical capability for these individuals to apply, but they're working on upgrading their systems to allow for it. Once the application system is open, you will receive benefits back to your original date of eligibility.

The CARES act also provides for an emergency additional $600 per week for individuals on unemployment, and an extension of the duration of benefits. These will be implemented as soon as the Maryland Department of Labor upgrades their systems.

Under new emergency legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor, employers are prohibited from firing employees who are isolated or quarantined for COVID-19

The stimulus payments under the CARES act are being sent automatically to anyone who filed a tax return in 2018 or 2019. If you did not file a tax return, the IRS has posted a form you can fill out online to get your payment. They will also soon have a form for people who did file a tax return but need to update their payment information. More information on both is at this link.

If you didn't file a tax return, but you receive payments from one of these, you don't need to do anything:
Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), or survivor benefits
Railroad Retirement and Survivor Benefits

Maryland Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for Business

The Maryland Department of Commerce is offering three new business assistance programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Loan Fund - This $75 million loan fund offers no interest or principal payments due for the first 12 months, then converts to a 36-month term loan of principal and interest payments, with an interest rate at 2% per annum. Learn more.
• Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund - This $50 million grant program offers grant amounts up to $10,000, not to exceed 3 months of demonstrated cash operating expenses for the first quarter of 2020. Learn more.
• Maryland COVID-19 Emergency Relief Manufacturing Fund - This $5 million incentive program helps Maryland manufacturers to produce personal protective equipment (PPE) that is urgently needed by hospitals and health-care workers across the country. More information coming by Friday, March 27, 2020. Learn more.

The Maryland Department of Labor is now accepting applications for the COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund, which can provide funds to help businesses with 500 or fewer employees purchasing remote access equipment and software to allow employees to work from home, provide on-site cleaning and sanitation services or other creative strategies to mitigate potential layoffs or closures. To see details or apply please visit this website.

The Layoff Aversion Fund can help with:

• Providing funds to cover the cost of purchasing remote access (ex. computers, printers, etc.) equipment to allow employees to work remotely from home versus being laid off;
• Providing funds to cover the cost of purchasing software or programs that an employee would need to use from home;
• Supporting businesses that take advantage of the Unemployment Insurance Work Sharing Program by supplementing the employee’s income and benefits;
• Providing funds to cover the costs of cleaning/sanitization services so that small businesses are able to keep employees at work on site, but only if a frequent deep cleaning to prevent exposure occurred;
• Paying for liability insurance for restaurants that convert to delivery while under emergency circumstances;
• Providing funds for training or professional development opportunities for employees to avoid layoffs; and
• Adopting other creative approaches and strategies to reduce or eliminate the need for layoffs in the small business community.

Maryland small businesses and private non-profit organizations are eligible for SBA Disaster Loans. Apply here.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses has a good page about the federal COVID-19 business programs.

The Paycheck Protection Program created under the stimulus package provides loans to assist businesses maintain their payroll and pay some expenses such as rent and utilities during the COVID-19 crisis. Many loans can be forgiven if the business maintains employee levels for 8 weeks.

• Here's a fact sheet from the treasury department.
• Here's the application form for the Paycheck Protection Program. Businesses and sole-proprietors can apply beginning April 3. Note, however, that reports indicate most banks are not able to accept applications yet.

Baltimore County has a good page with information for businesses and out of work individuals. Businesses and displaced workers can also fill out a form to request assistance from Baltimore County in accessing the stimulus programs. Click here for Baltimore County's COVID-19 business information page.

The 2019 state and federal tax filing deadline has been extended to July 15, 2020, for all business and individual taxpayers. The extension is automatic and no extension forms are required. For more information:

• Federal
• State

Baltimore County has created a COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, to promote public health and support residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more and donate here.

To assist front-line County employee efforts to respond to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Baltimore County government is now accepting donations of the following items:

• N-95 Masks
• Surgical Masks
• Procedure Masks
• Hand Sanitizer
• Medical Gloves – latex free
  Gowns
• Disinfectant
• Disinfectant Wipes
• Eye Protection

Individuals who wish to donate items can visit:

Glen Arm Fire Supply
12200 Long Green Pike Suite B
Glen Arm, MD 21057
410-887-4527

Collection hours are Monday-Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

When residents arrive, please call 410-887-4527 to connect with a Baltimore County staff member.

If you are healthy and capable and willing to help pick up groceries, pick up prescriptions, walk a dog, or more for people in District 11 who need extra help, please sign up here.

If you live in District 11 and need help, or know someone who does, sign up here.

Maryland’s regular primary election has been postponed to June 2. More information will be available regarding this election as the COVID-19 situation evolves.

The District 7 special election to replace the late Congressman Elijah Cummings will still be held on April 28, but will be by mail-in ballot only. There’s no need to submit a request for a mail-in ballot for the special election; ballots will be sent to all registered voters in Congressional District 7. Please check your registration here.

Did you know that you can fill out the 2020 census online from home while you're practicing your social distancing? Did you know that your community stands to lose $14,000 to $18,000 in funding over ten years for every person who doesn't fill out the census?

Census results are important for:

• Redistricting. Congressional districts are drawn every year based on census results. If your community is undercounted, you might not have adequate representation.
• Federal Funding. Census results are used to determine funding for things like roads, transit, education, Medicare, Medicaid, and substance abuse treatment. If your community is undercounted, you could be losing out on vital federal dollars.

Please take ten minutes right now to fill our the Census.

Start Here!

Every four years, Baltimore County goes through a rezoning process called the CZMP. Public hearings were supposed to be the next step in the CZMP, but they’ve been canceled due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Instead, the public can submit comments through a new online app. A live-stream Planning Board public meeting is planned for April 21. More information here.

The Maryland General Assembly passed, and the governor signed, emergency legislation to address the crisis. HB1663 does the following:

• Changes the definition of a work week to allow state hospital nurses to care for COVID identified patients and still be eligible for full-time benefits; 
• Eliminates co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs for COVID–19 testing;
• Requires the Maryland Department of Health to cover the cost of COVID–19 testing and any associated costs not paid for by insurance or another third party;
• Covers the cost of COVID–19 immunization should it become available;
• Waives certain telehealth protocols for COVID–19 to allow more patients to be diagnosed and treated over the phone and online;
• Requires the Maryland Department of Health to reimburse patients for telehealth services related to COVID–19;
• Allows the state, in partnership with federal government, to provide unemployment insurance benefits to workers who are temporarily out of work or quarantined due to COVID–19;
• Prevents retailers from price gouging necessary goods and services such as food, water, fuel and medicine;  
• Prohibits employers from firing employees who are isolated or quarantined for COVID-19.

The General Assembly also authorized $150 million from Maryland’s Rainy Day Fund for the governor to use in addressing the crisis.