COVID-19 State Of Emergency In MD: Masks, Testing Ramp Up

MARYLAND — After declaring a state of emergency in Maryland last week, Gov. Larry Hogan gave an update Thursday on the COVID-19 situation. He announced additional surge testing sites, new measures at nursing homes and free KN95 and N95 mask distribution, among other developments.

Maryland has completed more than 17 million COVID-19 tests, Hogan said Thursday, speaking at the University of Maryland Shore Medical Pavilion at Easton.

Daily, he said, the state is administering an average of 63,000 COVID-19 tests.

More surge testing sites will open to screen people for COVID-19, including at these locations:

• Anne Arundel County — University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center
• Garrett County — Garrett Regional Medical Center
• Howard County — Howard County General Hospital
• Montgomery County — Holy Cross Germantown Hospital
• Talbot County — University of Maryland Shore Regional Health
• Wicomico County — TidalHealth

The new testing sites are expected to open by the end of next week.

National Guard members will help staff these operations, which come in addition to state-run testing sites already announced, including at Annapolis and Bel Air hospitals.

Hogan addressed the state two days after the Maryland Department of Health reported a pandemic-high number of hospitalizations, with 3,462 people hospitalized with COVID-19.

Offering the testing sites has "really taken a load off the hospitals," Hogan said, since people were showing up at emergency rooms to be tested.

The governor declared a 30-day state of emergency on Jan. 4. This let him activate the Maryland National Guard to meet the rising demand for coronavirus tests.

Nursing Homes: Testing, Remdesivir

In the next few days, the Maryland National Guard will also begin distributing Remdesivir, one of the treatments believed to be effective against the omicron variant, to pharmacies that serve nursing homes.

"Nearly 70 percent of Maryland nursing homes are now currently reporting positive COVID 19 cases among residents and staff," Hogan said Thursday. "Now as we continue to ramp up testing across the state, we are redoubling our efforts to protect our most vulnerable residents who live in nursing homes."

Nursing home staff, volunteers and vendors will need to be tested twice a week for COVID-19, regardless of their vaccination status.

"In addition, all visitors will need to provide proof of a negative test, or to be tested at the facility with a rapid test prior to entering" starting next week, Hogan said.

"While we want people to continue to be able to visit their loved ones, we will do everything in our power to ensure that they can do so safely," Hogan said.

KN95 And N95 Mask Distribution

After getting vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19, "wearing a mask is one of the best mitigation strategies that we have," Hogan said.

Because the tight fit of KN95 and N95 masks provides more protection than cloth masks, Hogan said the Maryland Department of Health, with the help of the Maryland National Guard, will begin distributing 20 million of these face coverings.

They will be offered for free through health departments and at all state-run testing and vaccination sites. The Vaccine Equity Task Force will partner with organizations, including the NAACP, to distribute the masks at various communities, and nursing homes and state agencies will also receive the KN95 and N95 masks.

On Jan. 3, Hogan restored the face-covering requirement in state government buildings.

Local governments are free to adopt more restrictive guidelines, but they may not be more lenient than the state. Other areas that currently have temporary indoor face-covering orders include the following jurisdictions:

• Baltimore City
• Baltimore County
• Frederick County
• Howard County
• Montgomery County
• Prince George's County

To find a testing site, visit COVIDtest.maryland.gov.

See Also: Insurance To Cover At-Home COVID Tests: How To Get Them In MD

Patch editor Jacob Baumgart contributed to this article.