Governor declares state of emergency.
Annapolis, Md (KM) The coronavirus has come to Maryland which has recorded three cases. . Governor Larry Hogan made that announcement Thursday night during a news conference. He declared a state of emergency which ramps up Maryland’s coordinated response across all levels of state government.
“While today’s news may seem overwhelming, this is not a reason to panic,” The Governor says. “Marylanders should go to work or go to school just as they normally do.”
But not take this situation lightly. “At the same time, I want to continue to remind everyone to prepare themselves and continue to stay informed.”
Deputy Secretary of Public Health Services, Fran Phillips, told reporters the three people from Montgomery are a couple in their 70’s, and a person in their 50’s. Both had returned from a trip overseas. “When they were notified that they had a possibility of exposure, they were brought to a hospital–actually brought themselves to a hospital–because they are not severely ill. They were not hospitalized. They stayed at home. They brought themselves to a hospital in order to be tested, in order to have those specimens collected and sent to the Baltimore lab,” she said.
The specimens were sent to the State Public Health Lab in Baltimore where they tested positive for the coronavirus.
Phillips said the three contracted the coronavirus while traveling overseas. She said they are in good condition and are quarantined in their homes. The three were not identified.
Meanwhile, Phillips said the State Health Department is conducting a thorough investigation into these coronavirus cases. “We want to understand during the period of time when they returned from travel and when they had symptoms–flu-like symptoms–we want to understand where they went, who they interacted with in order that we can conduct this investigation,” she said.
Phillips said the three are being “extraordinarily cooperative.”
The Governor said Maryland has been actively preparing for a situation like this over the last several weeks. “Maryland has some of the top health research facilities in the world. And I’m confident in our state’s ability to respond effectively to these cases of coronavirus as well as any future cases,” he said.
Information about coronavirus, COVID-19 can be found at health.maryland.gov/coronavirus.
By Kevin McManus