Lake County woman tests positive for novel coronavirus while visiting Maryland

Maryland's governor announced Wednesday that a Montana woman visiting his state tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The woman was not identified, but is 71 years old and a resident of Lake County who has not been in Montana since November 2019, officials said.

According to a news release from Gov. Larry Hogan, the Maryland Department of Health notified Montana health officials on Wednesday, and Hogan directly contacted Montana Gov. Steve Bullock.

Officials said the woman was visiting Maryland's Anne Arundel County, which includes the capital city of Annapolis.

While in Maryland, the woman was notified that she previously had been in close contact with a confirmed novel coronavirus patient. The details of when and where that contact occurred were not released.

The woman was tested at an Anne Arundel County hospital and is now hospitalized there, the news release said.

Bullock said his office is working with Maryland officials to reconstruct the woman's travel itinerary and contacts. Maryland officials said her exposure was related to domestic, not international travel.

Maryland investigators said the woman was last in Montana in November 2019, has not returned to the state since that time, and was not in Montana during the 14-day incubation period for COVID-19.

“Since the case was announced earlier today, public health officials have been working nonstop to learn more about this case and can now confirm the patient did not have coronavirus while she was in Montana,” Bullock said in a news release. “We will continue to monitor the patient in Maryland and remain committed to preparing for coronavirus to reach Montana.”

The Lake County woman's presumptive positive test was confirmed on March 10. Bullock's office said, "Given the individual’s known travel history and the 14-day incubation period related to COVID-19, we believe this individual did not have coronavirus while in Montana."

By day's end, Maryland had 12 confirmed coronavirus cases.

According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services website, there are still no identified COVID-19 cases in this state. Public health officials have monitored 30 people and tested 21. All 21 people tested have been clear of the virus.