Record Number of Marylanders Test Positive for Covid-19; Baltimore City To Provide Schools With 100,000 Tests
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- People lined up at the Northern Parkway testing site in Baltimore hours before it opened — waiting for a hard-to-get Covid-19 test as the city recorded its highest positivity rate ever: 33%. That is above the almost 29% positivity overall in Maryland.
"This is too long. Two hours! But some people have been waiting for longer than two hours at other places so I'm not going to complain," one of those in line told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren.
The line dissipated by 2 p.m.and many praised the efficiency of the workers—and were happy to hopefully learn their status soon.
"No one has waited an hour yet as it didn't start until 12 noon today. It's frustrating, but we also know that we've been working with all of our partners," Mayor Brandon Scott told Hellgren.
At the state spending board Wednesday morning, Maryland's comptroller said the lines for tests—almost two years into the pandemic—are "alarming." He also called for a statewide mask mandate, something the governor says he is unwilling to do.
"If you're vaccinated and you're boosted and you have a mask on, at least you're doing what common sense would say," said Comptroller Peter Franchot. Mayor Scott has also called for a statewide mask mandate but noted Baltimore City's own indoor mask mandate remains in effect.
At the same meeting, Governor Larry Hogan revealed numbers from the University of Maryland Medical System that show 89% of recent cases n Maryland are the omicron variant. 74% of those hospitalized recently are unvaccinated, but only 2% of those who have received their booster shot have been hospitalized.
Hogan said the state is working to obtain more rapid tests and the Biden Administration told him they would not be able to help in that effort for several weeks.
Despite the rising case numbers, Mayor Scott is demanding schools stay open for in-person learning—and will provide city schools with 100,000 rapid tests and 80,000 N95 masks.
"I hear from parents and teachers, but most importantly, I hear directly from students who tell me, 'Mayor, I cannot return to virtual learning. It will not work for me. Please don't let me have to go back to learning at home.' And we all know that the best way for students to learn is in the classroom," the mayor said.
