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BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland’s governor said Saturday night that a nursing home in that state has been struck by an outbreak of COVID-19 that includes 66 positive cases and 11 hospitalizations.
Gov. Larry Hogan also said in a news release that Maryland recorded five more deaths statewide, bringing the total to 10. Earlier Saturday, state officials had reported that Maryland has around 1,000 positive cases statewide.
Hogan said that state and local health officials are at the Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mount Airy working on ways to protect the staff and residents.
“Multiple state agencies are on the scene and working closely with the local health department and the facility as they take urgent steps to protect additional residents and staff who may have been exposed,” he said.
The Carroll County Health Department said in a statement that the nursing home is following strict isolation guidelines for those testing positive and is screening staff. The county health department also has been able to provide staff with additional protective equipment.
Elsewhere, a Baltimore fire station has temporarily suspended operations after firefighters came into contact with an emergency medical services provider who tested positive for COVID-19. City officials announced the closure Friday night of the fire station on McMechen St. north of downtown as a precaution. A statement from the mayor’s office said that firefighters who may have been exposed are self-quarantining.
Elsewhere, Montgomery County officials announced that four personnel with the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service have tested positive for COVID-19, though none were believed to have been exposed through work contacts. They are among 19 members of the fire department who have self-quarantined. The department said it has plans in place to maintain adequate staffing levels.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
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Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak.
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