Contact: Mary Anderson or David Weaver, 240-777-6530
For Immediate Release: October 25, 2001

Duncan Announces Steps to
Evaluate Shady Grove Postal Facility;
Antibiotic Treatment to Be Distributed
To Postal Employees

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan announced today that County public health workers would immediately begin offering the antibiotic Cipro to U.S. Postal Service workers at the Suburban Maryland Processing and Distribution Center in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Duncan was joined in his announcement by Lynn Frank, chief of Public Health Services for the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services; Gordon Aoyagi, fire administrator for Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services; and Jeffrey Becker, plant manager at the Gaithersburg Postal Facility.

Duncan also announced that Montgomery County officials are cooperating with state officials in addressing the needs of private, large mail handling facilities who normally receive mail directly from the U.S. Postal Processing Center at Brentwood in Washington, D.C., as outlined in Governor Glendening’s announcement yesterday.

“We are working to cooperate and comply with the state’s recommendations and to ensure the health and safety of postal employees,” said Duncan. “I have also written a letter to the United States Postmaster General requesting stepped up security and monitoring of mail coming in to the Shady Grove mail facility.”

The County is also increasing the call taker capacity at the bioterrorism information line, which has been handling an average of 300 phone calls per day since it opened last week. Taped information about anthrax and other biological agents is available 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week and a staff of emergency medical and public health professionals are available to speak directly to callers each day between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. The telephone number is 240-777-4200.

The County also opened a walk-in health risk assessment center on Tuesday, October 23 to provide counseling and education for Montgomery County citizens concerned about anthrax and other biological agents. A health risk assessment will determine if further medical attention is needed.