First case of community COVID-19 transmission in Md. is found

First case of community COVID-19 transmission in Md. is found

Gov. Larry Hogan has scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. EDT. (Governor's Office photo)

Gov. Larry Hogan on Thursday afternoon announced the first case of community transmission of COVID-19 in Maryland.

The Prince George’s County resident, whose case was first announced Wednesday night, had no known exposure to coronavirus through travel or an infected individual, according to a statement released by the Governor’s Office.

“The first case of COV-19 community transmission in Maryland means we are entering a new phase of working to mitigate and limit the spread of this pandemic,” he said in a statement. “What we are seeing now is what we have been anticipating and preparing for over the last several weeks. Later today, I will be announcing to Marylanders major actions we are taking to protect public health and safety.”

Hogan has scheduled a news conference for today at 4 p.m. EDT at the State House, where he will announce “major actions” that his administration is taking to protect public health.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. Maryland is continuing to operate under a state of emergency, and all levels of government are taking a comprehensive approach to keep Marylanders safe, the governor said.

As of Thursday, there are 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, according to the Governor’s Office.

For health resources regarding COVID-19, including case counts and clinician guidance, visit health.maryland.gov/coronavirus. The list of ongoing state actions is available at governor.maryland.gov/coronavirus.