Mayor Declares Local State of Emergency

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MayorYoungStateofEmergency.png

 March 19, 2020

Dear Baltimoreans,

Today, I declared a local State of Emergency that went into effect at 12:01 p.m.

This declaration helps remove roadblocks, and allows Baltimore to speed up its ability to quickly and forcefully respond to the evolving threat from COVID-19.

The emergency declaration helps us more easily procure goods and services in order to better support and protect our residents and first responders.

My emergency declaration will remain in effect for at least 30 days, and may be renewed based on how the virus progresses.

A key area of focus for the City as we navigate the state of emergency remains the expansion of our ability to provide meals to students out of school and to our older adults.

We recently convened an Emergency Food Insecure Response Team of key agencies and community partners that are coordinating their work through the city’s Emergency Operations Center. We are using a strategic, coordinated approach to provide coverage, and will continue to grow the number of food distribution sites across the city.

We also unveiled a new interactive map for the public that displays citywide food distribution site locations.

On the first day of the city’s emergency response, 60 school and recreation center sites distributed more than 2,000 meals to young people, age 18 and under. In partnership with City Schools, Recreation & Parks, the Family League, the Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) and other community partners, the city is rapidly growing its effort, and increasing daily the number of sites and meals distributed at schools, recreation centers and mobile delivery route stops.

Starting today, DHCD is adding three mobile routes to our food distribution lineup for young people, and on Monday, March 23rd, it will bring five community-based meal distribution sites online. The City of Baltimore is aggressively pushing to scale-up this effort while also being very mindful of all the public health requirements associated with social distancing.

Baltimore’s current emergency food response for older adults is prioritized to provide food to residents ages 60 and older who live alone, have disabilities, have limited access to food, and do not have a family member in the Baltimore area to help. This week the focus has been on best practices for serving that population.

This strategy has four main components:

  • Residential senior housing facilities

  • Home-delivered meals to homebound individuals

  • Online food delivery through the Virtual Balti-Market program

  • Fielding requests through the Maryland Access Point

Baltimore’s seven City operated senior centers have been designated as pickup points where seniors can receive a boxed lunch.

Our Emergency Food Insecure Response Team is coordinating with Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, and delivered more than 1,400 meals to residents just yesterday.

The Virtual Balti-market program has seen an increase in the number of orders placed as more residents practice social distancing and stay in their homes. This week the program has scheduled 152 deliveries to nine senior housing sites across the city.

Any City resident age 60 and over, or a family member concerned about an older relative without food, should call Maryland Access Point at 410-396-2273 (CARE).

For more information on the COVID-19 virus, click here.

Sincerely,

Mayor Young