By  Kevin Lewis
WJLA
April 7, 2020
Watch full story here

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (ABC7) — Following complaints from Montgomery County politicians, the State of Maryland has agreed to open a COVID-19, drive-through testing site in the jurisdiction of nearly 1.1 million residents.

On Monday, officials announced they had selected the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP) White Oak facility located at 2121 Industrial Parkway in Silver Spring for testing. They went on to stress, however, that patients must be pre-approved by a “licensed healthcare provider.”

“This site is not an on-demand testing site. This is an appointment-only testing site,” a media advisory stated, in part.

Late last month, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced three testing sites at VEIP facilities in Anne Arundel, Charles, and Harford Counties. Montgomery, however, was left off that list, drawing criticism from State Senator Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) and Montgomery County Councilman Gabe Albornoz (D-At Large), among others.

“These three new sites — for someone in [Rockville] — will take 45 minutes, 55 minutes and 116 minutes to get to, and I don’t think we want folks who are acting on doctor’s orders to get tested, to be in the car for that long,” Senator Kagan told 7 On Your Side last week.

“I couldn’t help but notice the test sites did not include Montgomery County, although we have the most number of cases and the largest population,” Councilman Albornoz remarked during a March 24, council briefing. “I know we are working closely with our colleagues at the state level, and we have to continue that strong relationship. And I know from past calls, we have indicated that we would certainly appreciate being a location, but if you could comment, as much as you can, on what those deliberations and discussions have been like with the state, and is there more that we need to do to reinforce that Montgomery County needs a large-capacity testing facility as well.”

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (ABC7) — Following complaints from Montgomery County politicians, the State of Maryland has agreed to open a COVID-19, drive-through testing site in the jurisdiction of nearly 1.1 million residents.

On Monday, officials announced they had selected the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP) White Oak facility located at 2121 Industrial Parkway in Silver Spring for testing. They went on to stress, however, that patients must be pre-approved by a “licensed healthcare provider.”

“This site is not an on-demand testing site. This is an appointment-only testing site,” a media advisory stated, in part.

Late last month, Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced three testing sites at VEIP facilities in Anne Arundel, Charles, and Harford Counties. Montgomery, however, was left off that list, drawing criticism from State Senator Cheryl Kagan (D-Montgomery) and Montgomery County Councilman Gabe Albornoz (D-At Large), among others.

“These three new sites — for someone in [Rockville] — will take 45 minutes, 55 minutes and 116 minutes to get to, and I don’t think we want folks who are acting on doctor’s orders to get tested, to be in the car for that long,” Senator Kagan told 7 On Your Side last week.

“I couldn’t help but notice the test sites did not include Montgomery County, although we have the most number of cases and the largest population,” Councilman Albornoz remarked during a March 24, council briefing. “I know we are working closely with our colleagues at the state level, and we have to continue that strong relationship. And I know from past calls, we have indicated that we would certainly appreciate being a location, but if you could comment, as much as you can, on what those deliberations and discussions have been like with the state, and is there more that we need to do to reinforce that Montgomery County needs a large-capacity testing facility as well.”

Earl Stoddard, the Director of the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management & Homeland Security, responded to Albornoz’s question, trying his best to walk the line.

“They’re making a lot of hard choices and decisions,” Stoddard opined. “And, generally speaking, I’ve had a very close collaboration with my counterpart at the state for emergency management. I texted him today, he texted me back. They’ve been very communicative about the realities they’re facing.”

As of Monday, there were 4,045 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Maryland. Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Charles, and Harford Counties had 793, 343, 129 and 55 confirmed cases, respectively.

In Maryland, Prince George’s County tops the list for COVID-19 patients and deaths at 916 and 23, respectively. Last week, officials opened a testing site at FedEx Field in Landover. It operates Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is equipped to test around 100 people per day. The Maryland Army National Guard, University of Maryland Medical System, plus state and county health departments jointly operate the FedEx Field location.

The Maryland Department of Health has posted a four-page, “frequently asked questions” document online regarding VEIP facilities. It explains that healthcare providers must submit an “order” to an internal State of Maryland electronic database for any patients they approve for testing at a VEIP facility. Only after that can patients schedule an appointment online.

Upon arriving at a VEIP site, patients will be asked to show a photo ID and confirm their appointment number. The VEIP White Oak facility is scheduled to begin testing today. Its days and hours of operation are not currently known.

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich (D) and Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles are expected to host a press conference at 10:30 a.m. today where they will outline the new VEIP White Oak testing site. 7 On Your Side will be there, and will update this story accordingly.