Governor Hogan announces acquisition of 250k rapid antigen tests

September 10, 2020

Sarah Ash,

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – On Thursday, Governor Larry Hogan announced the acquisition of 250,000 rapid antigen tests.

This purchase makes Maryland, the founding member of the bipartisan interstate testing compact with the Rockefeller Foundation, the first state in the compact to move forward with an order of rapid antigen tests.

Nearly all of the ten states participating in the compact have signed letters of commitment for the purchase of these rapid tests. The governor made today’s announcement during a visit to Becton, Dickinson and Company, the manufacturer of the BD Veritor tests purchased by the State of Maryland, and one of two U.S. manufacturers of rapid antigen tests that have already been authorized by the FDA, at their Baltimore County Facility.

Rapid point-of-care antigen tests can deliver results onsite in just 15 to 20 minutes and are one of the best tools available to help better detect outbreaks more quickly and expand long-term testing in congregate settings. We’re told the tests will be deployed to nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, and correctional and juvenile detention centers across the state. In addition, the state is currently in discussions to send rapid tests to college and university dormitories and campuses.

Hogan noted that rapid tests do not take the place of the state’s PCR diagnostic tests, which continue to be the backbone of Maryland’s long-term testing strategy. More than 2.1 million tests for nearly 25 percent of the state’s population have been successfully completed.

“This state-of-the-art rapid testing will be critically important to our continued economic recovery and will also help to keep the people of our state safe,” said Governor Hogan. “I’m pleased to announce that Maryland will be the first state in the bipartisan interstate testing compact to move forward with an order with Becton Dickinson for the purchase of the first 250,000 of these rapid tests, along with the diagnostic machines used to process the tests onsite.”