Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles. Via Montgomery County, MD Flickr.
“For my colleagues who don’t look like me, let me explain it to you.”
During a virtual discussion about health, racial justice and COVID-19 with Montgomery College President Dr. DeRionne Pollard, County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles discussed how racism impacts the way he moves through life.
“I think of examples when I go into meetings, I am not only having to be present to talk about the business at hand, but I also am very careful to monitor my body language, my tone,” Gayles said. “Because I am recognizing I am under a microscope and don’t want to be perceived as angry, or hostile or arrogant based upon the comments in terms of how people perceive me and how they view me.” During Gayles’ senior year of college, he had a Black professor who described ontological fatigue, or a “heaviness of existing” that came with being a Black professor at a predominantly white college
Crawfordsville, IN, USA / WCDQ Country 106.3 FM | Country Music
Jan 26, 2021 5:06 PM
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. ― The Montgomery County Health Department would like to remind residents that Montgomery County will remain in the Red Advisory Level, despite anticipated changes to the color-coded county map on the Indiana State Department of Health’s COVID-19 online dashboard.
Montgomery County is expected to drop out of the Red Zone when the dashboard map reflecting the Weekly Two-Metric Score is updated Wednesday. Still, Montgomery County will continue in the Red Advisory Level for at least one more week in accordance with an Executive Order signed in December and extended by Governor Eric Holcomb last week. The Executive Order requires a county to remain in a less restrictive color zone (orange, yellow or blue) for at least two weeks before the Red Advisory Level mitigation measures and restrictions are removed.
No citations or stop work orders issued; county declines to name repeat offenders
January 18, 2021 | 10:16 am
Montgomery County officials have investigated 124 construction sites for possible COVID-19 violations, but have issued no citations or stop work orders since the pandemic began in March.
Out of the 124 inspections, the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services gave 115 verbal warnings and “educational outreach,” according to Carmen Berrios Martinez, division chief of Permitting Services’ Division of Customer Support and Outreach.
Nine construction sites received notices of violations for persistent offenses, Berrios Martinez wrote in an email. Notices of violations are the final step before a construction site would receive a citation.
Board of Education Request ‘Essential’ Status for Teachers Getting COVID-19 Vaccine
The Montgomery County Board of Education sent a letter to Governor Larry Hogan on Tuesday advocating that all Maryland pre-kindergarten through grade 12 educators be considered essential for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 1B.
“Providing the early vaccination of those entrusted with educating and caring for Maryland’s students will ensure a safe and speedy return to in-person instruction for students in Montgomery County and throughout the state,” the letter stated.
The MCPS BOE also emphasized that although some students are thriving with virtual learning, many students need the in-person experience with their teachers to meet their full potential. The letter also stated that the COVID-19 test positivity rate continues to rise both locally and state-wide – delaying a safe return to in-person learning under reopening guidance provided by the state.
Montgomery County Health, Human Services Receives Moderna Vaccine
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, manufactured by Moderna, on Wednesday morning.
According to a county news release, this first shipment of vaccines is reserved for county health staffers who are engaged in managing the coronavirus response including Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles. We now have the FIRST shipment of #COVID19 vaccine in Montgomery County! We’re not out of the woods; but there is light at the end of the tunnel. See the release for more info. ➡️ https://t.co/Tfop4ODZZepic.twitter.com/oloryTGISj