Council President Issues Statement Regarding COVID-19 Concerns

BALTIMORE, MD (May 8, 2020) -- Baltimore City Council President Brandon M. Scott issued the following statement in response to Mayor Young's concerns about an employee of a City agency experiencing possible COVID-19 symptoms who came into contact with City Council employees:

"On Tuesday, May 5, the Office of the Council President was notified by another City Agency that one of their employees was exhibiting symptoms not inconsistent with COVID-19 and came into contact with several employees of the City Council.

In strict adherence with Baltimore City policy, we notified those employees of this contact and instructed them to go home and self-quarantine for 7 days. The employees were told to monitor their symptoms frequently and to notify their doctor and the President’s Office if they developed any symptoms.

Shortly thereafter, on the same day, the afternoon of Tuesday, May 5, my staff then contacted the Director of the Department of Human Resources, high ranking officials at the Baltimore City Health Department, and leadership at the Department of General Services to make them aware of the situation and to ask for guidance on how to handle it from the perspective of public health, employment policies, and building cleanliness.

Pursuant to City Policy, the Department of General Services, once notified, took responsibility for scheduling a detailed sanitizing of the relevant portions of City Hall. This cleaning occurred on Thursday afternoon, and is what the Mayor is likely referring to in the letter that was shared with members of the press.

In addition, on Thursday, May 7, my staff reviewed the situation and the response with the Baltimore City Health Commissioner, providing a detailed recounting of every step taken to respond to this situation. The Health Commissioner agreed that the City’s policies were handled properly and that there was no cause for concern.

If the Mayor did not become aware of this situation until Thursday, that is something he should discuss with his staff and cabinet.

As of today, no members of the President’s Office are exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 or any other acute illness. If members of the press or public have questions about the health status of an employee of one of the Mayor’s agencies, they should contact the Mayor’s Office."