Follow Guidelines, Use Reliable Information Sources, Health Officer Says

Kent County’s health officer urged residents to follow social distancing and cleaning guidelines and to rely on reliable sources for information about COVID-19.

Kent County has confirmed two residents with the virus, with the most recent positive test result being reported to the health department late Thursday night. The county’s second patient is a man in his 60s with no known travel history. He was tested on March 23.

“As COVID-19 is now widespread in Maryland, it is likely that we will continue to identify more positive cases in the county,” William Webb, Kent County health officer, said in a statement. “A contact tracing investigation is underway to determine exposure within the county, and we are working with the Maryland Department of Health to take the appropriate precautions.”

In a Friday morning phone interview, Webb said area residents should continue to practice social distancing, frequent hand washing, and regular cleaning of surfaces.

“The important message that I want to send is for the community not to panic,” he said. “This disease will be with us, it’s here in the community and will be with us for a while. Most people who get infected only develop a mild case of the disease and will be able to recover at home with minimal medical attention.”

“We’re asking everybody to follow the recommendations that have been posted and what leadership has currently advocated relating to staying home, use social distancing, make sure you wash your hands, cover your cough, and disinfect your high-touch surfaces.

“We know that it’s coming,” Webb said. “Limiting group activities and social activities, all of that’s being done to hold that off as long as possible. In Kent County, we have a lot of people who love to do things on the water. The analogy I like to use is we can handle a high tide every once in a while but we can’t handle a tsunami.”

Webb also encouraged people to stay in touch with family, friends, and colleagues through phone calls or social media.

“At this point we’re hearing all about social distancing. The message that I also would extend is that doesn’t mean disconnect. Please stay connected with your friends, your family members, your co-workers.

“You don’t have to be physically in contact with them. Please remember to reach out and stay socially connected whether it’s by telephone, whether it’s by Facebook, whether it’s by other social media,” Webb said. “Just to make sure that folks are not feeling alone because it’s very easy to get cabin fever and knowing that we’re in this together as a community, knowing that you have people that are looking out for you — it’s one of the reasons I live in a small town.”

Webb said the biggest challenge for Kent County has been the limited amount of testing supplies and personal protective equipment.

“Also in planning a community response for a spike in the need for health care services,” he said. “All of the response that has been put in place at this point has been to slow the spread of disease to allow our healthcare system to ramp up to be able to handle the increase in cases that will be coming.”

The health department has been working with Shore Regional Health and other health care providers to prepare for a surge in cases.

“The health department is an important partner with Shore Health and the University of Maryland Shore Regional Health hospital in Chestertown,” Webb said. “We are helping to facilitate the University of Maryland, from a statewide perspective, get equipment and resources that they need.

“For example, the health department has received personal protective equipment from the national strategic stockpile. We have distributed that to the hospital to augment the supplies that they have and we’re also actively working with all the hospital systems to plan and coordinate surge capabilities in our acute medical centers.”

Webb said the Chestertown hospital has been operating under its licensed capacity for more than a week as non-essential and elective services have been postponed and 911 calls for emergency services have decreased.

“They have worked very diligently to minimize all non-essential or elective services that are going in that the hospital is seeing in preparation for the surge capability,” he said. “I think that’s a general understanding that the hospitals moving forward for the next several months are really going to be where services related to COVID-19 are going to be most critical.”

Asked about concerns about guests who are lodging in Kent County, Webb said those who have travelled from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut should self-quarantine for 14 days.

“That means that you can come and you can stay but please stay wherever you are for 14 days to ensure that you don’t have symptoms and you aren’t spreading it into the community,” he said.

Webb said the “community response to this crisis has been outstanding.”

“The health department has gotten almost universal public and private cooperation from all of our sister agencies, both county and state; we’re getting cooperation from the private nonprofit sector; it has truly been overwhelmingly impressive.

“Our leadership has been engaged and proactive; it has been responsive to the needs of the community,” Webb said. “This is a situation in Kent County where we’re a small community where everybody is pulling together and I have been overwhelmed by everybody’s willingness to pitch in and help when I call so that’s just been fantastic.”

As the pandemic continues and more cases are confirmed, he urged all residents to “use reliable sources of information.

“In a small community there are a whole lot of rumors that go around and there can be a lot of misinformation,” Webb said. “I encourage everyone to use reliable sources such as the CDC web page, the Maryland Department of Health and the Kent County Department of Health web page.

Those without internet access may call 2-1-1 at any time or the Kent County Health Department’s hotline at 410-778-1350 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.