ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland has dramatically boosted its testing capacity for the new coronavirus with a shipment of 500,000 tests from a South Korean company, the state's governor announced Monday, noting his Korean-born wife played a major role in championing the $9 million purchase.
As states have scoured the world for testing supplies, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan said he asked wife Yumi Hogan on March 28 to help negotiate the purchase, tapping into the goodwill she has sought to foster between the state and South Korea.
Hogan said 22 days of negotiations led to the shipment's delivery on Saturday by air. He called the shipment “an exponential, game-changing, step forward," in increased testing capacity — which has been a huge challenge