County Officials Distribute 100K Coronavirus Kits To The Public

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — In May, county officials set out to provide residents with 100,000 COVID-19 safety kits to residents in order to help mitigate and slow the spread of the coronavirus in communities hardest hit by the epidemic. They expected the initiative to take until December, but due to demand, that goal has already been met.

The kits contain educational materials and personal protective items such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer and paper soap, when available. Kits were provided to residents in locations across Baltimore County, including at:

• PAL Centers
• Faith and community organizations
• Nonprofits
• Apartment complexes
• Food distribution sites
• Coronavirus testing clinics

“Our African-American and Latinx communities are disproportionately 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 department’s COVID-19 Hotline also has received more than 20,000 inquiries and requests for assistance since it was established in March of this year.

“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 in a statement. “I want to thank all our front line 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.”