Howard County was designated by Governor Hogan today as a “Hot Spot” within the state of Maryland, allowing the region to be a priority for federal assistance.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball will hold a press conference on April 8th at noon, to address the ongoing response to COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued new guidance on cloth face coverings and now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain such as grocery stores and pharmacies. Since many people infected with the coronavirus have few or no symptoms, this is a step to help prevent those people from transmitting the virus to others. It is not a measure to protect you from catching the virus. 

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball to visit the new COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Columbia on Tuesday, April 7th. 

The Howard County Economic Development Authority joined with economic development organizations from Anne Arundel, Charles, Frederick, Prince George’s, and Montgomery Counties in signing a Joint Statement on Regional Collaboration among Maryland Capital Region Local Economic Development Organizations to outline their collective commitment to growing a stronger Maryland Capital Region.  

County Executive Calvin Ball today provided updates on Ellicott City progress. He highlighted the $20.2 million in his proposed capital budget for FY21, announced the final acquisition of the 10 properties on lower Main Street, provided updates on the federal section 106 process, and lower Main Street stabilization and preservation efforts.

Next Tuesday, April 7th, the Howard County Health Department, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health, will begin offering drive-through COVID-19 testing at the Columbia Emissions Testing Center for residents who are displaying symptoms, have a referral from their healthcare provider, and an appointment for testing. At this time the site, located at 6340 Woodside Ct #1071 in Columbia, will be open for appointments from 10am to 2pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Today, Howard County government launched a new dashboard tracking COVID-19 in the county, including active cases, recovered cases, and deaths. The information is sourced from the Howard County Health Department and updates daily, it may differ from the Maryland Department of health due to the timing of data collection.