The kits had been kept under guard by the Maryland State Police and National Guard while they awaited approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Testing kits acquired from South Korea by Governor Larry Hogan last month are finally being distributed to Marylanders in need. In an effort to boost the state's testing ability, Hogan and his team negotiated with South Korea to buy 500,000 COVID-19 test kits last month. First Lady Yumi Hogan helped serve as a translator and as a goodwill delegate to help secure the tests. Though the tests arrived in Baltimore on April 18, they could not be distributed until approval was granted by the FDA. 

After reports of personal protective equipment being seized by federal agencies, the governor rerouted the South Korean Air passenger planes carrying the tests from Dulles International Airport to BWI Airport in Baltimore. Upon arrival, the kits were taken to an undisclosed location by the National Guard and the Maryland State Police.

On April 30, Maryland got approval from the FDA for the South Korean tests made by LabGenomics. Unfortunately, officials still had another hurdle to overcome. They also needed to find swabs and reagents to use with the new kits. Maryland officials were finally able to secure 34,000 swabs from the National stockpile along with reagent chemicals from a U.S. company shortly after the tests were approved.

Test kits arrive at BWI Airport on Apr. 22, 2020, courtesy Steve Kwak

So far, the new tests have been sent to hot spots around Maryland including the Delmarva Poultry Plant in Wicomico County. The state has confirmed 279 cases of coronavirus in workers at Maryland poultry plants.

“These outbreaks are not only a serious public health concern, they are also a potential threat to Maryland’s leading agricultural industry and to our nation’s essential food supply chain,” said Hogan. “As part of our expanded testing strategy, we have launched a new testing site at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury. Additionally, we have quickly mobilized a community testing site in Caroline County.”

A CDC field team has also been called to help investigate the outbreak of COVID-19 and develop a plan to contain the disease throughout the entire Eastern Shore poultry industry. Test kits have also been sent to local nursing homes, hospitals, and local governments to distribute where needed. Hogan is hopeful Maryland can reach the testing benchmark and meet the state’s goal to reopen for business later this month.