Coronavirus US Update: Maryland Declares State Of Emergency After 3 Positive COVID-19 Cases Confirmed

KEY POINTS

Governor Larry Hogan said first three confirmed cases were reported in the state
The patients, who were held in quarantine at their homes, were in stable condition
Hogan asked Maryland residents not to panic and keep an eye on the updates.

Governor Larry Hogan has ushered in a state of emergency Thursday in Maryland after its first three cases of COVID-19 were reported. The patients, who were held in quarantine at their homes, were in stable condition, according to a statement.

“In order to further mobilize all available state resources in response to this threat to public health, I have issued a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in Maryland,” the governor said.

The three cases were reported from Montgomery County, as confirmed by Maryland’s State Public Health Laboratory in Baltimore. The patients were said to have contracted the virus while traveling to unspecified locations overseas. They were not identified by the state officials. It was only revealed that two of them are a married couple in their 70s, and one is a single woman in her 50s, who was not related to the couple, Hogan said at a press conference Thursday.

The three persons returned to Maryland on Feb. 20. They were tested positive on Thursday, Frances Phillips, the deputy secretary for public health services for Maryland, said.

Hogan appealed to the residents of Maryland not to panic and keep checking for updates.

"We have been actively preparing for this situation over the last several weeks across all levels of government. I encourage all Marylanders not to panic, but to take this seriously and to stay informed as we continue to provide updates," he said on Twitter.

A state of emergency was declared in California after its first death was reported Wednesday. Governor Gavin Newsom said the number of positive cases in the state was rising.