[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 86 (Thursday, May 7, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2313-S2314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CORONAVIRUS
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I rise today to highlight the heroes of my
home State of Maryland who are working on the frontlines to fight
COVID-19.
On January 21, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States.
Since then, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States
has ballooned to over 1.2 million cases and over 72,000 Americans have
died.
The CDC has designated the Baltimore-Washington corridor as a
hotspot, as cases continue to rise in the region. As of May 6, there
have been 28,163 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,290 confirmed deaths
in the State of Maryland. These are trying, unprecedented times for all
communities in America, and Maryland is no different in this regard.
Fred Rogers once said that in times of crisis, times like these, we
should ``look for the helpers.'' I would like to take this time to
recognize some of the heroes who are helping communities in Maryland.
I am very proud of our State's hospitals, distilleries,
manufacturers, and biomedical and pharmaceutical companies that have
come together to perform their own testing, manufactured personal
protective equipment and hand sanitizers, and are at the forefront of
developing a vaccine.
Maryland is home to some of the world's premier academic medical
systems, including the University of Maryland Medical System and Johns
Hopkins University, which have been critical in preparing our State for
the pandemic.
I am particularly proud of Johns Hopkins' coronavirus tracking
system, which public health officials worldwide have come to rely on
for up-to-date, accurate information. I applaud Johns
[[Page S2314]]
Hopkins officials and staff creating the vital public health tool,
which has already proven itself critical to fighting this disease.
Lord Kelvin stated so long ago:
When you can measure what you are speaking about, and
express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when
you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers,
your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind.
In the early days of the pandemic in Maryland, our State officials,
like officials in most States, were desperately searching for ways to
increase testing capacity. Johns Hopkins developed its own coronavirus
test to help meet demand.
The university has been especially helpful in Maryland's effort to
combat the virus in nursing homes. Johns Hopkins has closely
collaborated with local nursing homes to train their employees and test
residents to protect our most vulnerable populations.
I commend Johns Hopkins' ingenuity, which has been critical to
efforts to identify those afflicted with COVID-19 and to prevent the
spread of the virus.
The University of Maryland Medical System has stepped up to lead
efforts to address the devastating impact of COVID-19 in our State's
minority communities, which is likely due to the underlying healthcare
disparities. The university has assembled a team of public health
experts to execute the proposed Maryland Health Equity COVID-19
Consortium. The consortium will be critical to the developing of
strategies that inform our State's response efforts to protect our
communities of color, who are more susceptible to COVID-19.
Despite the immense burden Maryland's small businesses are facing,
they have stepped up to help local hospitals, nursing homes, and other
frontline workers.
Sagamore Spirits Distillery in Baltimore is one such small business.
Sagamore has completely converted its operation to distill corn ethanol
to produce hand sanitizers. The distillery is sourcing its corn from
Maryland farmers.
Hardwire, an armor company on the Eastern Shore in Pocomoke City, now
produces sustainable face shields that can last up to 6 months. By the
end of this week, Hardwire will have shipped out 1 million face shields
to healthcare workers, first responders, and others on the frontline in
the fight against COVID-19. The demand for Hardwire's face shield is so
great that it has hired 115 new employees, providing much needed
economic relief to communities on the Eastern Shore.
In addition, Maryland's world-leading biomedical and pharmaceutical
companies are working tirelessly to find a vaccine for COVID-19.
AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical and life sciences company with research
and development facilities in Gaithersburg and Frederick, has partnered
with the University of Oxford on a potential vaccine that has already
entered phase 1 clinical trials.
Emergent BioSolutions in Rockville is collaborating with Johnson &
Johnson on its lead COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Emergent BioSolutions
will be providing contract development and manufacturing services in
Maryland to support Johnson & Johnson's recently announced commitment
to supply 1 billion vaccines worldwide.
I would be remiss if I did not also thank Maryland's frontline
healthcare workers who risk their lives every day to care for those
with COVID-19. These physicians, physician assistants, nurses, lab
technicians, EMT personnel, and many others go to work day after day
facing the unimaginable strain of caring for patients who are fighting
this deadly virus and comforting their families.
These examples are by no means exhaustive. There are countless other
healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies, nonprofits, small
businesses, higher education institutions, and individual Marylanders
pitching in to defeat COVID-19.
Marylanders are stocking grocery shelves, driving buses, delivering
groceries to elderly neighbors, hosting virtual events to keep families
and young children entertained as they continue to practice social
distancing, and they are making homemade face coverings for those who
need them. I have seen my neighbors come together to make lunch packs
for families in need.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, ``Everybody can be
great because anybody can serve.'' The COVID-19 pandemic is not testing
our character; it is revealing it. I am so proud to represent all the
great Marylanders who are serving on the frontlines, and I will
continue working as hard as I can to ensure that we in Congress are
doing everything we can to support them as they lead the fight against
COVID-19
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
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