Latest Howard County Coronavirus Updates

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The new coronavirus outbreak in Maryland and across the nation has had quite an impact on Howard County residents, which ranges from school closures to park closures and many businesses being shut down.

The number of cases of COVID-19 continue to increase and additional measures and closures continue to be announced. The governor has declared a stay-at-home order for the state. Anyone who leaves the state is advised to self-quarantine.

Here are the latest local updates for Howard County:

COMMUNITY
Howard County has been designated as a coronavirus "hot spot" by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. MORE

Health care workers are on the front line of the new coronavirus pandemic, surrounded by the crisis every day while trying to save lives. They're also worried about transmitting the virus to loved ones at home. To ease those concerns, RVS 4 MDS was born. People who own RVs can loan them out to medical professionals to stay in during the pandemic. MORE

Volunteers not only are delivering food to seniors, but also giving rides to essential medical appointments during the coronavirus pandemic. MORE

Howard County Executive Ball reminds residents that only kitchen and bathroom trash should go to the landfill per the stay-at-home order. MORE

The United States Army Field Band will perform live on their YouTube Channel. The entertainment begins at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 1 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. MORE

Full-timers performing mission-critical work in Howard County will receive a $1,500 bonus and $600 for those who are intermittently on site. MORE

The Howard County Animal Control & Adoption Center in Columbia will continue to operate but by appointment only. MORE

There's a shortage of blood supplies across the nation and in Howard County. People can still donate during the pandemic. MORE

Clowning around isn't a hobby but rather a way of life for a Columbia man who has been sharing his mood-lifting talent in innovative ways during the coronavirus pandemic. MORE

During the new coronavirus outbreak, toilet paper has been in short supply, so people have turned to other items such as paper towels and wipes. Other surprising items are being flushed, too, causing damage to pipes. MORE

Kids can virtually visit Howard County parks through new coloring pages made available online by the Howard County Recreation and Parks Department. MORE

Seniors in the county are receiving delivered meals and opportunities to stay active virtually. MORE

Online classes are free through the county library system with a library membership card. MORE

The demand for services at the Howard County Food Bank has tripled and donations are being accepted. MORE

Howard County nonprofits can apply now through April 10 for a grant. HoCoRespond.com, a campaign established by four local philanthropies, set a goal of raising $100,000 in 10 days that is to be used to support Howard County nonprofits through emergency funds during the new coronavirus pandemic. MORE

SCHOOLS
All public schools have been ordered closed through March 27 while Maryland is under a state of emergency. Students are engaged in eLearning from home. MORE

The Howard County Public School System will provide grab-n-go lunches for each day and breakfast items for the following day for youth ages 18 and younger. There is no registration, enrollment or fees for participants, who may visit any of the locations. The free lunches will be available while schools are shut down due to the new coronavirus. MORE

Howard Community College is using online classes for the rest of the spring 2020 semester. The college's annual commencement ceremony also has been postponed. MORE

BUSINESSES
Tax filing deadlines have been extended. MORE

Taxpayers are being urged by Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot to file electronically as soon as possible. Effective April 15, the agency will temporarily stop processing paper tax returns in an effort to keep essential employees safe amid the spread of the new coronavirus. MORE

All of Maryland's five casinos, along with all of the state's racetracks and simulcast betting facilities, were ordered closed by Gov. Larry Hogan. MORE

Tax preparers and residents of Maryland are being targeted in a scam designed to swindle them out of their stimulus check. MORE

To help the medical professionals at Howard County General Hospital, restaurants are providing meals three times a week to the employees, and volunteers are stepping up to help deliver them. People also are supporting the initiative with donations. MORE

Here's a listing of restaurants offering takeout, delivery and curbside pickup. MORE

The Howard County Arts Council has established the Howard County Artist Relief Fund to help independent artists whose income has been adversely impacted by the virus. MORE

To accommodate for "high risk customers" age 65 and older, Boarman's Old Fashioned Meat Market sets aside two to three hours in the morning for only those customers to shop and grab what they need. On their Facebook page, they update customers with their inventory to help them better plan their shopping trip. MORE

HOSPITALS
Health experts say not every person needs to be tested for the new coronavirus. Many people will experience mild symptoms including fever, fatigue and a dry cough, and can recover at home without being tested. Here's what to do if you have symptoms. MORE

Drive-thru testing for the new coronavirus will be offered at the Columbia Emissions Testing Center for residents who are displaying symptoms and have a referral from their healthcare. Anyone with symptoms and a doctor's referral also must have an appointment to be tested. MORE

The Howard County Government has compiled a list of the most needed items across the county currently. All items must be new. MORE

Due to the new coronavirus, the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services will be protecting responders' safety with special gear. MORE

Now that the Centers for Disease Control advises people to wear cloth face coverings when out in public settings, particularly where maintaining a minimum distance of six feet apart can be challenging, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball has encouraged all residents to abide by this guideline. MORE

For updates on the coronavirus in Maryland, get Patch news alerts.

CHURCHES
Families of faith are concerned about missing major religious holidays and being unable to gather with their church families, but the Maryland State Police urges the faith community to voluntarily comply with the state's stay-at-home executive order and not gather together for service. MORE

Many churches are offering online services and other ways for members to safely connect. MORE

CANCELLATIONS/CLOSURES
People are not abiding by the governor's stay-at-home executive order. The police have arrested more than a dozen people and issued warnings to hundreds more. MORE

Maryland State Park beaches are closed, as are the Ocean City beach and boardwalk. MORE

The HoCo Pride 2020 has been postponed due to the new coronavirus in order to help prevent the spread of the virus. In the meantime, Howard County Pride will continue to offer online interactive activities, including story time, poetry slams and a talent show. MORE

All Howard County parks, playgrounds, basketball courts and more are closed until further notice. MORE

The March 14-15 Symphonic Pops concerts presented by The Columbia Orchestra have been postponed to a later date, possibly this summer. Tickets for the March performances will be honored for the rescheduled date. The Columbia Orchestra has had to cancel Beethoven & Bizet on May 16 and the Chamber Concert June 7. Programming planned for those concerts will move to the 2020-2021 season. The Music & Brunch fundraiser planned for April 18 and April 21 will be postedponed to the fall. The Columbia Jazz Band's concert Salute to the Duke on May 8 has been canceled. MORE