MARYLAND-Just a few days before Christmas Maryland’s governor tested positive for COVID-19. It’s no surprise though, since Maryland hospitals have seen over 2000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. Subsequently, with over 9,000 new infections since Christmas Eve; a state of emergency for Maryland hospitals has been asked of the governor.
This morning, as part of my regular testing routine, I received a positive rapid test for COVID-19. I have been vaccinated and boosted, and I am feeling fine at the moment.
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) December 20, 2021
Nonetheless, the self titled ‘transparent’ governor isn’t gonna let the virus stop him from continuously working on combative COVID-19 measures. He’s relied on the message disapearing app called Wickr, which provides cybersecurity to government agencies.
According to MSN news, the digital platform has provided Hogan — a moderate Republican with national ambitions — a forum to discuss media data; direct pandemic response and coordinate with top staffers.
Maryland Hospitals Declare Health Crisis Due To COVID-19
Governor Hogan obliged the massive requests for the declaration of the health crisis; declared for Maryland hospitals and medical centers due to a spike in COVID- 19 cases.
Facing increased emergency patients and significant staff shortages, the hospitals will implement “crisis policies” to help workers effectively treat patients.
Two New COVID-19 Testing Sites
Since then, Hogan announced there will be two testing sites opening at UMD Upper Chesapeake Health in Bel Air and Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis in efforts to support the increased demand.
Each site will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, including New Year’s Day, until further notice.
Only walk-ups will be accepted; scheduled appointments will not be available.
In the meantime, Maryland hospitals are nearly full. Emergency departments are stretched to capacity and nursing shortages are exacerbating issues, Atlas told The Baltimore Sun. People are complaining statewide that they’ve waited for hours just get a swab for the COVID-19 test.
Although Hogan said his administration devoted $100 million in emergency funding to hospitals and nursing homes; hospital staff are still null and void. The governor insists that he’s waived some requirements for out-of-state nurses and health care workers; allowed nurses to graduate early and called out the Maryland National Guard to help run testing sites.
Nonetheless, “hospitals are seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases, and hospitals have fewer clinicians ready to care for all patients who need hospital care,” Atlas said in an email. “Despite these challenges; hospitals are doing everything they can to ensure all Marylanders receive the best possible care.”
Hogan Predicts The Next Few Weeks In The Pandemic
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday predicted the next four to six weeks could be the “worst part” of the pandemic in his state; blaming people who are unvaccinated and therefore unprotected against the latest coronavirus surge for the strain on local hospitals.