May 20th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday announced universal coronavirus testing of detainees and staff in state-run correctional and juvenile facilities. WBAL reports that Hogan also announced that the state is delivering more than 20,000 tests per week to nursing homes, producing up to 10,000 tubes of viral transport media and distributing more than 33,000 more swabs to local jurisdictions. “Our state continues to make significant progress on all four of the necessary building blocks for our recovery, including on our long-term strategy to dramatically expand testing for COVID-19 across the state,” Hogan said in a statement. “To continue our aggressive efforts to target and isolate any outbreaks and clusters of cases, we will complete distribution of universal testing for nursing home residents and staff this month and begin universal testing at all state-run correctional and juvenile facilities. Additionally, we are producing viral transport media to overcome supply chain challenges and boost our testing resources.”

Dozens of inmates and correctional officers have contracted the virus and five inmates have died.

On Thursday, the state begins no-cost, appointment-free testing at select clinics for Marylanders who believe they have been exposed to the coronavirus but are not showing symptoms.