Earlier this evening, the Maryland Department of Health announced five additional deaths as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the state’s total to 10 deaths.

Governor Larry Hogan issued the following update to Marylanders:

“It took nearly three weeks for the National Capital Region to go from 0 to 1,000 cases of COVID-19. It took three days for the region to go from 1,000 to 2,000 cases in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. This is a rapidly evolving and escalating emergency which is now surrounding the nation’s capital.

“The number of deaths in our state as a result of COVID-19 has doubled. We have lost 10 of our fellow Marylanders, and we mourn each and every one of them.

“Tonight, Maryland has experienced a tragic coronavirus outbreak at Pleasant View Nursing Home in Mount Airy. 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.

“I want to thank all of the doctors, nurses, and first responders all across our state who are working around the clock to respond to this pandemic.

“As we have been warning for weeks, older Marylanders and those with underlying health conditions are more vulnerable and at a significantly higher risk of contracting this disease.

“We continue to call for Marylanders to stay at home, except for essential reasons, in order to help stop the spread of this virus.

“We are leveraging the full arsenal of public health and government, but defeating this invisible enemy will require a unity of effort and spirit like nothing we have ever faced.”

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