$10M Being Considered To Support Montgomery County Hospitals

ROCKVILLE, MD — The Montgomery County Council is expected to introduce a special appropriation of $10 million on Tuesday to support hospitals facing an influx of new coronavirus cases.

"This must happen quickly, and hospitals need financial assistance to make emergency purchases and cover costs," the county council said in a statement.

Officials say the funding will be administered through the county's Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security from the General Fund Reserves.

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"Since this appropriation is needed to respond to a County emergency, the Council will introduce and vote on this measure on Tuesday," officials said. "There is no requirement for a public hearing."

As of Monday afternoon, Maryland had 1,413 confirmed cases of the coronavirus — 341 of which were in Montgomery County, according to health officials.

The number of cases across Maryland, D.C., and Virginia more than quadrupled in the past week, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said.

"It took just three days for the region to more than double from 1,000 to more than 2,500 cases," he said, noting that 51 people have died in the National Capital Region from the virus.

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