Baltimore County Distributes 100K COVID-19 Safety Kits To Residents
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) -- The Baltimore County Department of Health distributed 100,000 COVID-19 safety kits to residents in order to help slow the spread of coronavirus in its hardest hit communities.
Kits are provided to locations across the county, including PAL centers, faith and community organizations, nonprofits, apartment complexes, food distribution sites and COVID-19 testing clinics.
"From the outset of this pandemic, our team at the Health Department has been working around the clock to protect the health and well-being of our residents," Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said. "I want to thank all our frontline staff for reaching these milestones. By continuing to focus our efforts in the most impacted communities, we can work together to stop the spread and save lives."
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The county's COVID-19 hotline has received more than 20,000 calls since it opened in March.
"Our African-American and Latinx communities are disproportionally affected by the pandemic," said Baltimore County Health Officer Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch. "We've worked diligently to get safety kits into the communities hardest hit in order to provide safeguards and information that help to slow the spread of the virus. It is vitally important that efforts like this continue."
The kits contain education materials, personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and paper soap. The initiative was launched in May with a goal of completion by December, but the demand for items help the health department reach its goal ahead of schedule.
The County's COVID-19 Hotline is available seven days a week. Staff assist callers with everything from scheduling appointments for testing to helping residents successfully quarantine. Bilingual staff are available to assist residents who speak Spanish. The Hotline number is 410-887-3816.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
