National Guard, Maryland State police guarding tests from South Korea at undisclosed location, Gov says
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After seeing reports that the Federal government had confiscated medical equipment sent to other states, Governor Larry Hogan said the National Guard was deployed to BWI Airport to guard Maryland’s shipment of 500,000 COVID-19 tests from South Korea last week.
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In an interview with the Washington Post, Hogan noted that 3 million masks ordered by Massachusetts were seized by Federal agents in the Port of New York.
Hogan wasn’t going to let that happen in Maryland.
With the help of First Lady Yumi Hogan, the Governor and a host of officials obtained the tests after weeks of negotiations and tests.
“We made sure it landed at BWI Airport, instead of Dulles. This was the first time a Korean passenger plane has ever landed at Baltimore Washington International Airport. We landed it there with a massive contingent of National Guard and Maryland State Police because this was an enormously valuable payload. This was like Fort Knox to us,” Hogan said.
According to the Governor, the test, which were specially obtained with the help of Maryland’s First Lady Yumi Hogan, are still being held at an “undisclosed location,” where they’re guarded by the National Guard as well as the Maryland State Police.
RELATED: Maryland acquires 500,000 COVID-19 tests from South Korea after weeks of discussions
Hogan and other state leaders have complained that the states are being forced to compete for one another for scarce medical supplies as they work to treat the swell of patients suffering from COVID-19.