By Tim Klapac
Baltimore Staff Writer
Gov. Larry Hogan confessed on Monday that the number of coronavirus cases is expected to increase but assured residents that the Legislature has approved $50 million to aid in programs, processes and procedures to contain infections.
“We will be shifting from containment to mitigation,” Hogan said at an afternoon press conference at the Maryland Statehouse in Annapolis. “As we begin to expand our testing, we can expect the number of cases to rise.”
Hogan said that the $50 million approved by lawmakers comes from a transfer from the state’s Rainy-Day Fund to aid in coronavirus-related measures. He added that the likelihood of containing the virus was low.
In providing information about the two new positive tests of the virus in the state, Hogan said a woman in her 80s is a resident of Harford County and a man in his 60s resides in Montgomery County. Both individuals obtained the virus while traveling overseas, he said. The woman was traveling to Turkey and is currently being hospitalized in Maryland.
“This is the first case of COVID-19 anywhere in the world to be associated with travel to Turkey,” Hogan said.
The man contracted the virus while traveling to Thailand and Egypt. He was briefly hospitalized and is currently in quarantine, Hogan said.
In an update on the first three Marylanders to contract coronavirus, Hogan said that the cruise ship in which all three contracted the virus has been connected to 12 cases in the Houston area. Hogan also said the six additional Marylanders traveled on that ship between Feb. 19 and March 4.
“Two are experiencing symptoms,” he said. “All six are in quarantine and will be tested for COVID-19.”
As a state’s response to the outbreak, an emergency coronavirus response team has been created, the governor said. The team consists of experts in public health and emergency management.
Hogan reminded Marylanders to stay up to date by visiting coronavirus.gov or health.md.gov/coronavirus.
So far, the Centers for Disease Control report 423 confirmed cases in 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and 19 deaths. The CDC has tested about 1,707 patients. Hogan said about 73 people have been tested in Maryland.