First Coronavirus Case In Baltimore County Confirmed

Correction: An earlier version of this mistakenly stated the Baltimore County man went to the Conservative Political Action Conference from Feb. 26 to Feb. 29. He actually went to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Conference March 1 to 3.

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — The first Baltimore County resident has tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the governor. Officials said he is not hospitalized.

The man in his 60s had worked at the recent American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington, D.C., according to a statement Gov. Larry Hogan issued Wednesday night.

Two people who attended the conference tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which organized it. Those infected with the virus were reportedly from New York.

The Baltimore County man had "limited contacts, and they have been identified and notified," Baltimore County government officials reported.

"We continue to work with our partners across county government and at the state level to monitor this rapidly evolving situation," County Executive Johnny Olszewski said in a statement. He and Baltimore County Health and Human Services Director Gregory Wm. Branch will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. Thursday about the first case of new coronavirus in the county.

The Baltimore County man was one of three Marylanders who tested positive for the novel coronavirus Wednesday night, Hogan said, hours after he held a press conference about a person from Montana who tested positive in Anne Arundel County.

There are now 12 people who live in Maryland and have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the governor reported Wednesday evening.

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Along with the Baltimore County man, the two others who tested positive Wednesday for the illness were a Prince George's County man in his 60s who is hospitalized and whose travel history remains under investigation, as well as a Montgomery County man in his 20s who recently traveled to Spain.

That brings the number of those with the illness in Maryland to 12 as of Wednesday night:

• Six in Montgomery County. Four people went on an Egyptian river cruise (a man and woman in their 70s as well as one woman in her 50s and another in her 60s). Officials said a man in his 60s from Montgomery County tested positive after he traveled to Thailand and Egypt. A man in his 20s tested positive after travel to Spain.
• Four in Prince George's County. The first patient to test positive is a woman in her 50s who contracted the virus during a Feb. 25-27, visit to Boston. The next two positive cases involved a couple who traveled internationally aboard a cruise ship. The most recent case was a man in his 60s who is hospitalized and whose travel history is being investigated.
• One in Harford County. An 86-year-old woman remained hospitalized Tuesday after traveling to Turkey and Albania.
• One in Baltimore County. The man in his 60s worked at the recent American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington, D.C.

The Anne Arundel County visitor will be counted as a Montana case.

The new coronavirus was first detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

Symptoms are fever, cough, difficulty breathing and pneumonia, resulting in anything from mild respiratory issues to death.

It spreads between those closer than 6 feet apart through respiratory droplets when a person who is infected coughs or sneezes and the droplets get into the mouths or noses of others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maryland health officials recommend hand washing as a way to protect against the spread of viruses in general, including influenza and the new coronavirus.

People should also keep their hands away from their eyes and mouth; stay home when sick; and cough or sneeze into a tissue.

Visit the Maryland Health Department's coronavirus page or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's coronavirus disease situation summary for additional information and resources.

See Also:

• MD Coronavirus: 12 On Cruise Ship; MVA, Nursing Home Changes
• Turkey Disputes Hogan's Claim About Harford Coronavirus Resident
• Anne Arundel Coronavirus: Schools Prep For Closure If Needed
• Trump Not At Risk Of Coronavirus Exposure Via CPAC: Organizer
• MD Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know