Today at 3:00pm, Governor Larry Hogan briefed the State of Maryland with an update and the steps the State is taking to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to get the economy started.
Currently there are 20,849 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 Virus in Maryland including 1,662 in Anne Arundel County. 1662 deaths in Maryland have been reported so far, 75 in Anne Arundel County.
Full details can be found here (updated daily around 10:00am)
This afternoon, the Governor highlighted the following points and actions to help Marylanders fight the COVID-19 virus and re-open the state:
- Maryland is exponentially expanding testing with the acquisition of the 500K kits from South Korea
- Hogan spoke with the White House on the issues with meat and poultry plants. There are 262 confirmed cases in poultry plants in Wicomico County.
- They have opened a testing site at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury specifically to test workers in poultry processing plants.
- Other issues is outbreaks at nursing facilities. 2000+ cases at 143 nursing homes. 46% of the Maryland deaths are patients in nursing homes.
- Today Hogan issued Executive Order requiring mandatory testing of all residents and employees tested regardless of the presence of symptoms or not. This order also requires an on site physician or nurse to perform daily evaluations of all residence. The State will also deploy “bridge teams” to help administer care to residents in nursing homes.
- Hogan apologized to every Marylander who had problems with the Department of Labor’s unemployment website. 245K accounts activated, 100K new claims filed. The surge is unprecedented and every state is struggling with it. As of now they are processing 33 new accounts per minute and 780 claims per hour. The buck stops with Hogan and he will see that every Marylander gets every penny owed.
- Proclamation– May 2, 2020 is Health Care Heroes Day in Maryland. State House, Camden Yards and M&T Bank will all be lighted up in blue in the evening and will also have a flyover by the Navy Blue Angels and the Air Force Thunderbirds (Hogan said “Army Thunderbirds”)
