Since March 21, 2020, Queen Anne’s County Maryland has reported five positive cases of COVID-19. The majority of Queen Anne’s County cases have not had travel history or a known connection with another positive case. This means that there is community spread of COVID-19 in Queen Anne’s County. With community spread, everyone is at some risk for COVID-19, and everyone is expected to stay at home as much as possible and take precautions.
All of the five confirmed cases in Queen Anne’s County are improving and recovering at home. Tests results are coming in and reporting time varies. The health department has no control as to when the laboratory results are received.
Queen Anne’s County has partnered with the other mid shore counties (Talbot, Caroline, Kent and Dorchester) to establish an alternate testing site at Chesapeake College, which started on March 20, 2020. This testing site was set up to relieve the local hospitals and emergency rooms. Patients are only being tested after a referral by their primary care physician. Since the first day of testing at Chesapeake College, 117 people from all 5 counties have been tested.
Any person who is experiencing significant health issues should contact their primary care physician for medical guidance. If the primary care physician decides the person could have a COVID-19 test, they will write them a referral. If that test does come back positive the QAC Health Department will conduct an investigation. The health department communicable disease staff has received extensive training on case investigations. The staff has many years of investigatory experience in dealing with other contagious diseases that are mandated to be reported to the health department. Examples are: Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Rabies.
We are aware that there has been a delay in updating cases on the Maryland Department of Health website and we are looking into that. Moving forward as multiple positive cases are confirmed we will provide a general update every Monday or as conditions change.
COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease of the lungs. Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. COVID-19 is spread by contact with an infected person, usually through coughing and sneezing or between people who are in close contact with one another (within 6 feet). It is also possible that a person can become infected by touching a surface or an object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose and possibly eyes. COVID-19 is a new virus in humans; most people have little or no immunity.
All County residents are instructed to continue with social distancing of at least six feet and if you are having symptoms to contact your primary care physician. Persons who have been exposed to the virus have the potential to infect others before they display symptoms. If you have sick family members recovering at home please use this link for more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
Queen Anne’s County Health Department has set up an information line for the public to call with questions about COVID-19. Staff will be available by phone from 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, 443-262-9900 qaccovid19.callcenter@maryland.gov
Queen Anne’s County Government has set up an information line for questions about county departments and services during COVID-19. This line is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am till 4:30 pm. Call 443-786-9529
This is a rapidly changing event so follow us on social media @QACGOV and qac.org online for the latest updates to county government. For the latest information on COVID-19 follow Queen Anne’s County Department of Health @QADOH and qahealth.org