Garrett County Reports Testing Numbers

The Garrett County Health Department today reported the number of COVID-19 tests completed in the county since local testing began. 

As of March 28, 2020, COVID-19 testing sites located in Garrett County have processed specimens on 109 individuals. These individuals reside mainly in Garrett County, but some have been processed on out-of-county residents. Among specimens collected on Garrett County residents, there have been 50 negative results and three positive results. Of the remaining 56 specimens, the vast majority are still pending. Some of these undefined results represent individuals who reside outside of Garrett County. Under current procedures,local health departments everywhere are notified of positive and negative results only on the individuals who reside in their county.

“Understanding that COVID-19 infection knows no borders, Garrett County Health Department reports the total number of individuals tested, regardless of specific county of residence,”said Dr. Jennifer Corder, the Deputy Health Officer for Garrett and Allegany counties. “This should reassure our community that testing is being done in a regional manner, just like how we interact with each other on a daily basis.” 

The Health Department will continue to notify the public about local results, both positive and negative, as they are reported.

“We are also aware of one additional COVID-19 positive test result on a non-resident homeowner temporarily staying in Garrett County,” Dr. Corder said. “If we become aware of other similar cases, these will also be shared with the community.”

Interested community members can go to this link https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html where they can zoom in to Garrett County. Red dots indicate cases, and it is easy to see COVID-19 activity in neighboring counties.

At this time, there is no knowledge of community level spread of COVID-19. All three confirmed cases in county residents were related to travel within the United States. Two of the three have been managed at home, and one remains hospitalized.

The most important message for community members is to maintain consistently high levels of hand washing, social distancing and isolation upon first signs or symptoms of COVID-19. These symptoms most commonly include fever, cough and shortness of breath, but sometimes fever does not occur. 

Accurate COVID-19 information is critical to the community. For the most current and accurate information about the situation, please refer to the following:

• The Health Department COVID-19 Dashboard: garretthealth.org/covid-19-information/. Local information as well as links to State and National resources.
• Garrett County COVID-19 Medical Hotline: 301-334-7698
• Garrett County Government’s COVID-19 Page: garrettcounty.org/covid-19

Please call 911 only for medical emergencies, not for coronavirus information or questions.

By Diane Lee, Public Information Officer, Garrett County Health Department