Sixth Marylander Tests Positive For Coronavirus
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — A sixth person in Maryland has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19, a strain of the coronavirus.
Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said she's been notified that a resident in her county, a woman in her 50s, tested positive for COVID-19. She plans to hold a news conference with more information Tuesday morning.
Monday night, Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted the woman contracted the virus while traveling outside the state.
"There appear to be no major concerns over exposure risk to the community & no connection to the previous positive cases," the governor wrote.
Seventy-three people have tested negative for COVID-19, the state health department said Monday.
That brings the total people tested to 78. The department is no longer reporting the number of pending tests.
As of Sunday, 67 people were tested for COVID-19 in Maryland to date; five tests have come back positive. There were no new cases overnight.
Two people tested positive in Maryland on Sunday.
CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:
- Officials: Harford County Coronavirus Patient Believed To Be First In World Related To Travel In Turkey
- Sixth Marylander Tests Positive For Coronavirus
- Current Coronavirus Testing Capacity Inadequate, Hopkins Expert Says At Capitol Hill Briefing
- State Department Urging Americans Not To Take A Cruise; Says Those With 'Underlying Conditions' At Risk For Coronavirus
- LIST: EPA Releases Names Of Disinfectants You Can Use Against Coronavirus
- The Symptoms Of Coronavirus And What You Should Do If You Feel Sick
- What Is A Coronavirus?
- Coronavirus-Related Scams Are Going Around. Here's What To Watch Out For
- Royal Caribbean Among Cruise Lines Screening For Flu, Coronavirus; Could Deny Boarding At Port Of Baltimore
- This All-Female Team Of Scientists In Maryland Is Working On A Coronavirus Vaccine
- Latest coronavirus stories from WJZ
One of the new patients is a Harford County woman who is 86 years old. She contracted the virus overseas and has been hospitalized.
Public health officials said there appears to be no community exposure from this case. The woman said she went straight home from the airport, didn't leave her home and when she began to feel ill went straight to the hospital for evaluation and care.
Harford County officials said in a news conference Monday the woman had no symptoms while on the plane and none when she got home immediately -- they developed six days after she got home.
The patient had contact with two relatives who live with her who are now self-isolating and have no symptoms.
Later Monday afternoon, Hogan said the woman contracted the virus while traveling to Turkey, the first worldwide case believed to be linked to travel in that country.
After 1st Positive Case Of Coronavirus In Harford Co., School Officials Say Stay Home If You're Sick
University of Maryland Medical System confirmed they are treating a coronavirus patient at their hospital.
Three Maryland patients who tested positive for coronavirus last week were on an Egyptian cruise when they contracted the illness, according to a Montgomery County official. They are described as a married couple in their 70s and an unrelated woman in her 50s, all from Montgomery County.
Six more Marylanders were on the same cruise ship during different dates between February 19 and March 4, Hogan said. Two of them are showing symptoms; all six are being quarantined and will be tested for COVID-19.
Twelve Marylanders were also aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship that had been sitting off the coast of California. The ship docked in Oakland, California, Monday afternoon, CBS San Francisco reported. Those aboard are being taken to military bases in Texas and Georgia.
None of the 12 are showing symptoms, Hogan said.
The governor also signed emergency legislation that passed unanimously in the General Assembly that will allow the state to spend $50 million from the state's rainy day fund to respond to COVID-19.
"We are continuing to hope for the best while we're also actively preparing for the worst," Hogan said.
The governor also said he's convening a coronavirus response team made up of emergency management and health experts on Tuesday.
Hogan warned as testing efforts ramp up, the number of positive cases will likely increase.
Maryland is one of several states currently under a state of emergency due to the virus.
