Hogan On Coronavirus: Now Isn't The Time To Place Blame For Shortage Of Tests
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Friday that while the state and the country are still seeing a shortage of coronavirus tests, now is not the time to place blame but rather to focus on stopping the spread of the virus.
During an appearance on MSNBC Friday afternoon, journalist Katy Tur asked Hogan whether Maryland was getting the support it needed from the federal government. In response, Hogan said:
"The last thing I think we need at this point in time is finger-pointing or Monday morning quarterbacking or talking about the mistakes that have been made or (things that) could have been done better or (that we) should have had more testing ready because the reality is: yes, we have a problem. There's not enough tests," Hogan said. "We're dealing with that crisis now in every single one of our states and we're trying to fix it, and it's not something we're going to fix overnight, but I do believe that people are aware of it, they're trying to address it, but yeah, we're behind."
This afternoon, I appeared live on @MSNBC to discuss the latest updates in Maryland's ongoing response to COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. We have taken unprecedented actions that will disrupt Marylanders' lives, but we believe they're absolutely necessary to keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/UAHkwjpawS
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) March 13, 2020
The governor also highlighted work being done at Johns Hopkins and other institutions in the state to make testing for COVID-19 more readily accessible.
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Johns Hopkins Hospital has created its own test and doctors hope to be able to test around 1,000 people per day.
"The real concern for us right now really isn't about testing; it's about stopping the spread, social distancing measures, preparing for the kinds of things we can do to stop and slow down the growth," he said. "And quite frankly, at some point, we're not going to be arguing about the testing, we're going to be worried about taking care of sick people."
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.