By MEREDITH COHN, PAMELA WOOD and COLIN CAMPBELL
THE BALTIMORE SUN – MAR 07, 2020 | 11:53 AM
The three people who tested positive for the novel coronavirus this week were on an Egyptian cruise on the Nile River, said Gov. Larry Hogan, who shared more details during a Friday evening news conference about the Montgomery County residents, the first confirmed cases in Maryland.
The three — a couple in their 70s and an unrelated woman in her 50s — are currently isolated in their homes and their symptoms are abating.
Five of their family members have been advised to be tested and officials continue to trace their contacts with others to determine if more people should also be tested, said Fran Phillips, deputy state health secretary for public health during the news conference.
One of the patients traveled to suburban Philadelphia and met with students and others there, which resulted in Pennsylvania health officials deciding to temporarily close five Bucks County schools.
Another of the patients attended a Feb. 28 event at The Village at Rockville, a retirement community. Health officials say 70 to 100 residents, visitors and staff at the event may be at risk for COVID-19. They are urging them to monitor for symptoms such as fever, cough or difficulty breathing until March 13. They should also take their temperature twice a day and notify their health care provider if it’s greater than 100.4 or they have other symptoms. Anyone who attended the Feb. 28 event is encouraged to contact their physician or the Maryland Emergency Management Agency call center at 410-517-3720.
“We’re obviously concerned, we’re not getting any sleep and the information is coming at us pretty fast and furious,” Hogan said during the conference.
Hogan announced the three positive tests Thursday evening and then declared a state of emergency, allowing Maryland to mobilize its emergency operations center and ramp up its coordination with local and federal agencies.
In addition to the three confirmed cases in the state, eight tests are still pending among the 44 tests conducted. One person under investigation is at University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson, the hospital confirmed Friday. It’s unknown where the others are located or if they are hospitalized or isolated at home as they await results.
