Maryland first to acquire 250k COVID-19 rapid-response tests

Maryland will be the first of 10 states enjoined in a "Bipartisan Interstate" pact, to acquire a quarter-million rapid-response COVID-19 tests.

DETAILS DIRECTLY FROM THEGOVERNOR ON HIS MULTI-STATECOVID TESTING PACT.

THE PACTHAS MARYLAND... ALONG WITHSEVERAL OTHER STATES...AGREEING TO BUY CORONAVIRUSTESTS.

NOW... THE GOVERNORSAYS THERE ARE SOME*NE*TESTS HEADING OUR WAY.

WMAR 2NEWS'S DON HARRISON WAS WITHTHE GOVERNOR TODAY.Track:L Governor Larry Hoganannounced a multi- state dealto purchase covid-19 rapidantigen test.

An antigen testcan tell you if you have theCovid-19 virus or if you hadit recently.

Sot: This is thelatest state of the arttechnology in rapid testingwhich will help to slow thespread of covid-19 and helpour states to speed upeconomic recovery.

Track:Several states have committedto this deal: Arkansas,Louisiana, Massachusetts,Michigan, North Carolina,Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah andVirginia.

Governor Hogan fellsit's better to negotiate dealsas a group instead of doing 50different deals, as washappening with a lot ofinvestments at the begging ofthe pandemic.

The governor hasnegotiated this as a bi-partisan deal.

The governorsfrom these states are bothRepublican and Democrat.

Sot:Our plan is to begin todeploying these rapid tests tonursing homes and assistedliving facilities in order totest all resident staff andvisitors and to ourcorrectional and juveniledetention centers.

Track:Maryland is the first of thestates to purchase thesetests.

Dr. Rajiv, with theRockefeller Foundation is apart of this purchase.

Theyare putting up to $50 millionon this project.

Sot: Toinsure we can pinpoint thosepeople who are positive andtake them out of the chain oftransmutation much morequickly and much moreeffectively and in a much morecomprehensive way.

Stand up:When antigen test first cameout some of the false negativereports were as high as 50%With these new tests, thegovernor says that has changednow.

Sot: These tests are upin the 84, 87% accurate butyou don't have to wait days ora week.

In 15 minutes, we willhave a pretty goodunderstanding.

Track: TheState will spend $7 and a halfmillion dollars.

The Centerfor Disease Control will buy250,000 of these $30 tests.

InSparks Maryland, DHAS FOR OUR STATE NUMB