Even with the required doctor’s referral, Baltimore County’s lone drive up testing site at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium has its limitations.
AND TODAY, BALTIMORE COUNTYANNOUNCED PLANS TO INCREASEITS NUMBER OF TESTING SITES.WMAR 2 NEWS' JEFF HAGER HAMORE ON THE ADDED CAPACITY.4:36“Right now, BaltimoreCounty only has one drive uptesting site for thecoronavirus, and thatat the Maryland StateFairgrounds in Timonium, buttha”(TRACK) EVEN WITH THE REQUIRDOCTORDRIVE UP TESTING SITE AT THEFAIRGROUNDS HAS ITSLIMITATIONS.
(NAT SOT) :06“Idonsir.
WeTuesdays and Thursdays”(TRACK) BEGINNING NEXT WEEKTHE COUNTY WILL ADD SITESWHERE THEY(SOT━JohnnyOlszewski/Baltimore CountyExecutive WIDE 13:58“Both theLiberty Road corridor/Randallstown, Owings Mills aretwo of our hotspots, two ofthe hardest hit communities”(TRACK) A WAL━IN CLINICTHE LIBERTY FAMILY RESOURCECENTER WILL TEST PEOPLE BYAPPOINTMENT ONLY ON MONDAYS,WHILE THE VEHICLE EMISSIONSINSPECTION CENTER IN OWINGSMILLS WILL TAKE DRIVE THROUGHPATIENTS ON WEDNESDAYS ANDFRIDAYS.
(SOT) 7:43“Just lastweek, we were talking about 30tests per day at the Timoniumdrive up site.
Weincreasing that to 75, both atTimonium as well as the OwingsMills site drive through.Weavailable for walk up at theLiberty Road Resource Centeras well” (TRACK) THE DAILYTESTS AT THE THREE COMBINEDLOCATIONS STILL ONLY REPRESENTJUST OVER 300 TESTS PER WEEKIN A COUNTY WITH MORE THAN 2━HUNDRED CONFIRMED CASES TODATE.
WHILE THE COUNTYEXECUTIVE APPLAUDS THGOVERNOR AND THE FIRST LADYFOR LANDING 50━ THOUSANDADDITIONAL TESTS FROM SOUTHKOREA, THEY WILL BE OF NO HELPFOR NOW.
8:24“Unfortunately,we also learned theretimeline out there for thosetests.
Thereputting them on the streets inBaltimore County or anywhereelse, because those tests alsorequire reagents.
They alsorequire the swabs, and theyrequire lab capacity” (TRACK)OLSZEWSI SAYS HE WILL ADDSITES AND EXPAND CAPACITYWHERE ITS NEEDED AS MORE TESTSBECOME AVAILABLE.
(HAGERS━UP) 6:08“If you have anyadditional questions, you cancall the Baltimore CountyCOVI━19 Hotline.
That numberis 41━88━3816.
Reporting inTimonium, Jeff Hager, WMAR 2News”A THIRD TESTING SITE OPE
Two more Maryland VEIP stations will be opening to serve as drive-up COVID-19 testing sites.
