'We're Going To Be The Next Hot Spot': Coronavirus Deaths To Surge In Mid-April, Warns Gov. Hogan
BALTIMORE (WJZ/CBS) -- Maryland and the National Capital Region is expected to be the next hot spot for coronavirus, according to Gov. Larry Hogan, and a rise in fatalities could come as early as mid-April.
"We're going to be the next hot spot," Hogan said on CBS This Morning Friday, comparing the COVID-19 pandemic as a "terrible hurricane" that is "hitting all 50 states, and it keeps coming every day, and it keeps intensifying and getting worse."
Coronavirus Latest: 2,758 COVID-19 Cases In Maryland, 42 Deaths Reported
According to CBS, the Pentagon has deployed 19,000 National Guard troops across the country. In Maryland, the National Guard has been helping with a testing center at FedEx Field in Prince George's County and also set up beds for a field hospital in the Baltimore Convention Center.
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Hogan issued a "stay-at-home" order Monday for the state. Residents can only leave their home to buy groceries, medicine and other essential goods, in case of emergency or to take a walk and exercise. The National Guard was called in the previous week, leading to rumors about a state lockdown.
"I was one of the very first to call up the National Guard. We called up 2,200 members of our National Guard," Hogan told CBS This Morning. "Just every kind of place where we can help our hospitals, we can help provide the services and fill the gaps, they've been doing a tremendous job and stepping up. These are citizen-soldiers who got called up to go serve, and every time we call on them... they always answer the call."
The rise in fatalities is expected in Maryland in mid-April, according to Hogan.
"It's a relief," Hogan said. "When they come in, people say, help is on the way. And these guys are coming in here, and they're going to help keep us safe."
In a video he posted on Twitter, Hogan said it's time for Marylanders to come together.
"I know how difficult this is on each and every one of you," Hogan said. "There's a great deal of fear and anxiety, and the truth is none of us really know how bad this is going to get or how long it's going to last, but I can promise you there are a great many dedicated people doing tremendous things, working around the clock and doing their very best to help keep Marylanders safe."
Read more on CBS This Morning.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
