State and local jurisdictions across the metropolitan Washington region are responding to the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) by keeping area residents regularly informed about the situation, sharing tips on how people can protect themselves, and taking a variety of actions to slow the spread of the virus such as closing schools and limiting public gatherings.
These actions and other measures to ramp up social distancing are intended to protect people most vulnerable to the virus and prevent the healthcare system from being overwhelmed. Officials have also been calling on area residents to take personal responsibility to protect themselves and their communities by following the advice of health professionals and the social distancing guidance.
On March 5, the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 were identified in the region and since then cases have been identified in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia. Given the evolving situation, people should check their state health department and local government websites for the latest information in their communities.
REGIONAL COLLABORATION
COG has been supporting its member governments by connecting leaders and sharing information through its network of government officials, such as city and county managers, health directors, emergency managers, law enforcement, fire and rescue, and public information officers, as well as private and nonprofit sector partners.
The COG Board of Directors received an update on COVID-19 at its March meeting. On March 17, the board supported the request of the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Virginia to add the National Capital Region to the priority locations for federally-supported COVID-19 testing sites.
Water utilities are coordinating messaging to communicate with customers that the water supply is safe and their continuity of operations plans will keep the water running. Through COG’s Community Engagement Campaign, members are reminding residents to throw wipes in the trash and not to flush them.
COG’s food and agriculture program is connecting with area farmers, technical assistance providers, and other stakeholders in the supply chain to ensure that information about options for access to fresh food (i.e. grocery, farmers markets) is being shared across the region, along with key policy considerations.
Area transit agencies have taken significant steps to clean their systems and in recent days have adjusted to reduced schedules, while remaining open to transport essential workers.
COG’s Commuter Connections program is also providing new telework resources as employers increasingly turn to telework to help ensure the safety of their employees, the continuity of their business operations, and to do their part to protect the community through social distancing.