Governor Hogan was able to acquire the tests with the help of his wife, Yumi.
The State of Maryland now has 500,000 more tests to help in the battle against the coronavirus. The new tests came from a company called LabGenomics in South Korea and landed at BWI Airport on April 18 with Governor Larry Hogan and his wife watching from the tarmac. Hogan and a team of people, including his Korean-born wife Yumi, worked on “Operation Enduring Friendship” for more than three weeks. The tests will be a crucial part of the plan to reopen Maryland.
The availability of tests has been a problem for governors across the country. In addition to buying actual test material, the state has expanded the number of labs including building a state of the art robotics lab at the University of Maryland. Sadly, those efforts did not produce the capacity needed for this pandemic. That led the governor to look outside the country and enlist the help of First Lady Yumi Hogan.
“‘Operation Enduring Friendship’ was launched on Saturday, March 28, when I asked my wife, Yumi, to join me on a call with Korea’s Ambassador to the United States, Lee Soo-hyuck," Hogan said. "We spoke of the special relationship between Maryland and the Republic of Korea, and we made a personal plea in Korean asking for their assistance.”
Governor Larry Hogan and First Lady Yumi Hogan at BWI Marshall Airport, courtesy Steve Kwak, Patrick Siebert
The three-week project included negotiations between Maryland, South Korea, and the U.S. and dozens of federal agencies including the FDA, Customs, and the USDA. The 500,000 tests arrived at BWI Marshall Airport on Saturday, April 18, on a Korean Air passenger plane. The governor is grateful to South Korea for its cooperation.
“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean War. My wife often says that she would not be here if it were not for the dedication and the sacrifice of the brave Americans who fought for the freedom of South Korea. Let me just say that after ‘Operation Enduring Friendship,’ the State of Maryland owes an incredible debt of gratitude to the people of South Korea.”
Governor Hogan is expected to release the next phase of the plan to reopen the state later this week. The new phase “Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery,” will build on strengthening the state’s medical response in preparation for a reopening of the state according to guidelines released by President Donald Trump.
