Watch our latest video message (3/19/20) about COVID-19. It addresses flattening the curve of the outbreak and also includes a message from Mayor Adams.

How can I protect myself?

• Take everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs;
  • Wash your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap and water
  • Cover your mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • If you are sick, stay home from work or school
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
• Stay home if you are sick. If you suspect for any reason that you may have been exposed to COVID19, do not go to the hospital, call your primary care physician and they will direct you.

Social Distancing

• Flattening the curve is the key to slowing the spread of the virus.
• Stay home as much as possible. If you need to go to the grocery store or pharmacy, do so.
• Try to use delivery service, you can get just about anything delivered right to your door. Online shopping is a great way to help the economy. Continue to order food from your local restaurants if possible.
• Find activities that are safe and relaxing. Walk in your neighborhood, play in your yard, plant a garden. Converse with your neighbors over the fence and from a safe distance. This is a great time to meet people we drive past every day.
• Please don’t hoard. This is a scary time, but the stores are restocking daily.

State & Outside Guidance

Guidance for People Feeling Sick

Guidance for Seniors

• Senior Tips for Doing More at Home
• What Seniors Need to Know About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) English
• What Seniors Need to Know About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Spanish

Guidance for Parents

Bowie Youth & Family Services has compiled an extensive list of resources to Help Families Cope with the Pandemic.

Be Aware of Fraud Schemes

Scammers are leveraging the COVID-19 pandemic to steal your money, your personal information, or both. Don’t let them. Protect yourself and do your research before clicking on links purporting to provide information on the virus; donating to a charity online or through social media; contributing to a crowdfunding campaign; purchasing products online; or giving up your personal information in order to receive money or other benefits. The FBI advises you to be on the lookout for the following:

Fake CDC Emails

Watch out for emails claiming to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or other organizations claiming to offer information on the virus. Do not click links or open attachments you do not recognize. Fraudsters can use links in emails to deliver malware to your computer to steal personal information or to lock your computer and demand payment. Be wary of websites and apps claiming to track COVID-19 cases worldwide. Criminals are using malicious websites to infect and lock devices until payment is received.

Phishing Emails

Look out for phishing emails asking you to verify your personal information in order to receive an economic stimulus check from the government. While talk of economic stimulus checks has been in the news cycle, government agencies are not sending unsolicited emails seeking your private information in order to send you money. Phishing emails may also claim to be related to:

• Charitable contributions
• General financial relief
• Airline carrier refunds
• Fake cures and vaccines
• Fake testing kits

Be cautious of anyone selling products that claim to prevent, treat, diagnose, or cure COVID-19. Be alert to counterfeit products such as sanitizing products and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including N95 respirator masks, goggles, full face shields, protective gowns, and gloves. More information on unapproved or counterfeit PPE can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh. You can also find information on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website, www.fda.gov, and the Environmental Protection Agency website, www.epa.gov. Report counterfeit products at www.ic3.gov and to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center at iprcenter.gov.

If you are looking for accurate and up-to-date information on COVID-19, the CDC has posted extensive guidance and information that is updated frequently. The best sources for authoritative information on COVID-19 are www.cdc.gov and www.coronavirus.gov. You may also consult your primary care physician for guidance.

• The FBI is reminding you to always use good cyber hygiene and security measures. By remembering the following tips, you can protect yourself and help stop criminal activity:
• Do not open attachments or click links within emails from senders you don’t recognize.
• Do not provide your username, password, date of birth, social security number, financial data, or other personal information in response to an email or robocall.
• Always verify the web address of legitimate websites and manually type them into your browser.
• Check for misspellings or wrong domains within a link (for example, an address that should end in a ".gov" ends in .com" instead.

Guidance for Business Owners

• Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Loan Fund
• Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund
• Maryland COVID-19 Emergency Relief Manufacturing Fund
• COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund
• COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund Fact Sheet
• COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund Application (Excel)
• Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance

What is the Coronavirus?

• There are several common coronaviruses that infect the human and animal population and cause mild to moderate illness, such as the common cold. The coronavirus also caused the Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
• The coronavirus that originated in China has been designated COVID-19 and most likely spread from bats at an open-air market to humans. Person-to-person spreading is now occurring across the globe.
• Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath. 
• The CDC has released test kits to hospitals to confirm infection, and states have been granted permission to develop and use their own tests.
• Governor Hogan has declared a State of Emergency in order to provide a more coordinated statewide response across all levels of government.
• View the latest Situation Summary from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Where can I get more information?

• During an epidemic/ pandemic event, rumors will run wild. When looking for information and updates on the coronavirus, use trust-worthy sites only, do not believe everything you read on social media.

Centers for Disease Control And Prevention (CDC)

Maryland State Department of Health

Prince George’s County Department of Health