The Other McCain

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Maryland Governor Declares State of Emergency Over Coronavirus Cases

Posted on | March 6, 2020 | 1 Comment

“Emergency” is not a synonym for “panic”:

The first three confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in Maryland Thursday night. According to Gov. Larry Hogan the married couple in their 70s and an unrelated woman in her 50s from Montgomery County contracted COVID-19 while traveling abroad.
Hogan also declared a state of emergency in Maryland so that MEMA and the state health department can ramp up coordination between all state and local agencies and fast-track their response.
Although the governor said this news is “not a reason to panic,” he said residents should pay attention to information and be prepared. He also said Marylanders should go to work and schools like they normally do.
Here’s what else we know about the positive coronavirus cases in Maryland:

  • The state’s public health laboratory confirmed the first positive cases of coronavirus in the state.
  • The trio returned home from traveling abroad on Feb. 20. The state wasn’t notified until March 3.
  • On March 4, they brought themselves to a local hospital where they were tested. The results came back Thursday, March 5.
  • Officials would not say where they were traveling.
  • The three people are cooperating with authorities and are in “good condition” and not severely ill.
  • They are quarantined at home.
  • Maryland health officials are thoroughly investigating where the trio may have gone after they returned from international travel and who they may have interacted with.
  • Vice President Mike Pence and the CDC were notified of the cases as well as Montgomery County officials.

The site of this outbreak is probably not coincidental, as Montgomery County has one of the largest Asian-American communities on the East Coast, and notice that officials were reluctant to specify what foreign country these people had visited. Gov. Hogan is both (a) Republican and (b) very popular, despite (c) Maryland being an overwhelmingly Democrat state. He is efficient and businesslike, and declared a state of emergency not because the state is on the brink of a coronavirus pandemic, but simply so that he could use broader executive power to coordinate a statewide reponse. Everybody chill out.




 

Category: Health Care, Maryland

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One Response to “Maryland Governor Declares State of Emergency Over Coronavirus Cases”

  1. “Emergency” is not a synonym for “panic” | 357 Magnum
    March 6th, 2020 @ 9:31 pm

    […] The Other McCain has an update on COVID-19 Maryland Governor Declares State of Emergency Over Coronavirus Cases. […]