Officials tout partnerships during COVID-19 informational event

(Aug. 19. 2020) State and local officials today offered an update on COVID-19 testing and other matters related to the pandemic during a Facebook Live event in West Ocean City. 

The Worcester County Health Department later released a transcript of highlights from Health Officer Becky Jones: 
 

• We’ve processed more than 3,300 COVID-19 tests since the launch of our Pocomoke and Park and Ride testing locations. This number represents over a quarter of all tests conducted in Worcester County to date. We want to thank the Town of Ocean City for their support providing locations for testing in the north end of the county and Atlantic General Hospital for partnering with us to conduct testing in Pocomoke. Also, a thank you to the State of Maryland for coordinating a testing clinic at the Ocean City Convention Center multiple weekends throughout the summer. 
• To date, we’ve monitored more than 1,500 isolation and quarantine cases, monitoring individuals with potential COVID-19 exposure. Our monitoring team, made up of staff from all of our departments, are working diligently days, nights, and weekends, to assist residents who are in isolation, keeping track of their symptoms and providing assistance in the form of deliveries when needed. 
• Our nursing department has been conducting contact tracing on COVID-19 close contacts since the pandemic began, while our environmental health team is working overtime to help keep businesses safe as Maryland reopens and moves through the Governor’s Roadmap to Recovery. Staff from departments such as prevention, planning, behavioral health and administration have been extremely flexible in picking up new duties including assisting on location at our testing sites and joining monitoring teams and our call center whenever needed. We couldn’t be more proud of the dedication of our staff in helping their community during this difficult time. 
• We want to end with recognizing the Worcester residents who have complied with isolation and quarantine procedures due to either testing positive for COVID-19 or being a close contact. We know how difficult it is to stay isolated when we all want to get back to normal as soon as possible. Your sacrifice and diligence is helping so much as we continue towards recovery as a State. You are all public health heroes! 

Also present during the event were Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan, Worcester County Commissioners President Joe Mitrecic, Atlantic General Hospital President and CEO Michael Franklin, and Maryland Senator Mary Beth Carozza. 

Meehan said, "we haven't had a lot to celebrate" this year because of the pandemic, but he credited local and state representatives and health officials present by saying, "It's definitely a team effort” to combat the pandemic.  

He said officials have learned to expect the unexpected, but COVID-19 "far exceeds anything that we ever envisioned." 

"By working together ... I think we've been able to at least handle this situation in a very professional way and to limit the exposure to our residents and visitors," he said.  

Meehan said Ocean City was "not a COVID-free zone and we all have to remain vigilant in how we handle ourselves in the public." He pointed to a sign behind the podium that read, "WHY MASKS MATTER," which is part of a Maryland Department of Health campaign.  

The campaign states that COVID-19 can be spread by people who feel healthy, and masks protect both the wearer and those around them. It encourages masks in areas where social distancing can be difficult and adds, "Wearing masks is something that we may all have to become accustomed [to] in order to safely reopen our state." 

"What we should all be thinking about is why to wear masks, not to look for reasons why not to wear masks," Meehan said. He added that the more people who think about the safety of others, “the more successful we'll be in moving Maryland forward." 

Meehan said local officials have taken some precautions that even exceeded state orders, including restricting visitors to Ocean City and closing the Boardwalk early on, as well as the recent mask mandate on the Ocean City Boardwalk.  

He said education was essential to continuing to protect businesses, residents and visitors from the pandemic. 

"We have a long way to go, but the key is to keep everybody healthy, get everybody to wear a mask, [and] to get everybody to follow all the orders that the governor has put in place to keep Maryland moving forward,” he said. 

Mitrecic said Worcester County also acted early, including imposing an order to halt short-term rentals. 

"This did two things: it kept people from bringing [COVID-19] to Worcester County and spreading it, and also allowed us to keep our hospitals free for Worcester County residents," he said.  

Mitrecic said the health of residents and visitors is the County Commissioners' top priority, and he credited the Worcester County Health Department, as well as local and state elected officials, with helping to keep the public safe and informed.  

Franklin said AGH set up a testing site in Ocean City on March 20, which was one of the first in the region. To date, he said, that site has conducted more than 1,700 tests. 

He said cooperation between AGH, the health department and the state of Maryland helped establish other testing sites, including drive-through centers on the north and south ends of Worcester County.  

"It's all about the community – how the community works together," he said. "One of the key ... successes coming out of this COVID crisis is the fact that COVID-19 problem has accelerated the mindset that health and safety ... is everybody's responsibility." 

Carozza also underscored the importance of effective partnerships, and said it was encouraging to see representatives from the health department, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and Worcester County all working together. 

She, like all the speakers, credited Jones and the health department with making things easier during a challenging time.  

"I've been out here when it's 90-some degrees and people are lining up early, and it's hot and people have questions and they have their appointment to get their test, and they have a welcoming staff ... that's greeting them [and] getting them quickly through this process," she said.  

"None of us today thought we would be spending our August at this event with masks on at the Park and Ride in West Ocean City. But here we are, because, together with strong partners and with the people we have in place, we are going [on] the road to COVID-19 recovery," Carozza added.  

Jones ended by saying COVID-19 testing would be available this weekend at the Ocean City Convention Center. Appointments are available Friday, Aug. 21 and Saturday, Aug. 22. To schedule an appointment, call 410-632-1100.  

To view video of the presentation, visit https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=340429763645906&extid=pJqP2qbpcu7tokS7.  

The Maryland Department of Health, in a statement earlier this week, said free COVID-19 testing occurs at the West Ocean City Park and Ride on 12940 Inlet Isle Lane every Monday and Wednesday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. 

Those seeking a test do not need to show symptoms or suspect exposure to COVID-19. A doctor’s order is not required, but appointments are needed. To schedule an appointment, call 410-632-1100 and select option 8. 

Additional COVID-19 information and resources for Marylanders are available at https://coronavirus.maryland.gov.  

For COVID-19 announcements and closings in Ocean Pines, visit /web/pages/covid-19-announcements-and-closings. 


Photo courtesy the Worcester County Health Department. Pictured, from left, are Michael Franklin, CEO Atlantic General Hospital, Rick Meehan, Mayor of the Town of Ocean City, Rebecca Jones, Health Officer for Worcester County, Joe Mitrecic, President Worcester County Commission, and Mary Beth Carozza, Maryland State Senator District 38).