Maryland officials say next 48 hours 'critical' in pandemic's evolution.
'Howard County and Loyola University Maryland reported their first cases of the new coronavirus, statewide numbers continued to climb and casinos, racetracks and even a local mall were ordered closed Sunday as officials let the public know that business as usual was no longer an option.
The actions were part of a dizzying day of updates and edicts as the total number of confirmed cases in Maryland rose to at least 32, six more than a day earlier. Since there have been five more cases confirmed in the state.
Across the state, officials from multiple agencies worked to stem the dangerous virus that’s spreading at an increasingly alarming pace.
“The next 36 to 48 hours are going to be critical in where we are," Webster Ye, director of government affairs for the Maryland Department of Health, told state senators in a Sunday morning briefing. “We previously were trying to contain the spread of coronavirus, and now we are in mitigation." . .
The actions come as the Maryland Health Department reported that there are now 31 confirmed cases of coronavirus statewide, which is up five from Saturday. The state’s numbers did not include the Howard County case, which county health officials announced in the afternoon.
The state offered no details about the five new cases, other than what counties they occurred in. . .
As of Sunday morning, the state said, there were 12 cases in Montgomery County; nine in Prince George’s County; three in Baltimore County; two each in Harford and Anne Arundel counties; and one each in Baltimore City, Carroll County and Charles County.
Additionally, the state’s health department upgraded its dedicated coronavirus webpage with an interactive map showing confirmed cases by county. The map can be seen at coronavirus.maryland.gov.'>>>
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