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COVID-19 cases soar in Maryland, drive thru site testing begins

The Maryland Department of Health reports as of Tuesday, there are 1,660 confcases of novel coronavirus in the state. There have been 14,868 people to have tested negative for the virus; the number of deaths are at 18; 429 are hospitalized and 53 patients have been released from isolation.

There have been 14,868 people to have tested negative for the virus; the number of deaths are at 18; 429 are hospitalized and 53 patients have been released from isolation. Women continue to lead men in the number of reported cases (856, 804 respectively).

Age groups affected the most by COVID-19:

0-9       6

10-19   32

20-29   215

30-39   290

40-49   304

50-59   335

60-69   260

70-79   157

80+      61

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH), in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland National Guard, Maryland State Police, local health departments and private partners, will begin offering drive-through COVID-19 testing to residents who are symptomatic and at high risk for complications from the disease.

The test sites, which will be open starting Wednesday, will be located at Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP) sites in Glen Burnie in Anne Arundel County, Waldorf in Charles County and Bel Air in Harford County.  “As the number of cases rise in Maryland, we are opening these sites to keep pace with the demand for testing. These sites are for residents who are symptomatic and in high risk categories for developing serious illness,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Like every other state in the nation, we simply do not have enough testing supplies. We need to use our resources wisely.” 

At the test sites, individuals will remain in their vehicles with the windows rolled up until it is time to receive their test. Testing requires a clinician to insert a single long swab (Q-tip) into the back of the person’s nostril for several seconds. Most individuals experience minor discomfort at most. 

All tested individuals will receive information with further instructions at the test site and should continue to self-isolate at home while waiting for results, which can take 4 to 5 days. If symptoms worsen, they should call a healthcare provider immediately. If a test comes back positive, patients must self-isolate for at least 7 days from when their symptoms started or 3 days from the last fever, whichever is longer.