Baltimore County reached a deal with local company Becton, Dickinson and Company to purchase coronavirus testing supplies, a development officials said would ramp up the county’s testing ability over the coming weeks and months.
A division of the Sparks-based medical technology company, BD Integrated Diagnostic Solutions, will supply 2,000 test kits per week with the swabs and vials needed to collect samples.
Those tests will be processed by LabCorp and Quest under existing deals with the county.
“Ensuring consistent access to testing is a critical component of our long-term fight against this deadly virus,” Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. said in a statement. “We’re thankful that Baltimore County is able to partner with BD IDS, a business right here in our backyard, to secure testing materials that can be used immediately to enhance our response to COVID-19.”
The county said it has already received the first order from BD Integrated Diagnostic Solutions.
Founded in the late 19th century, Becton, Dickinson and Company has had offices in the region since the 1950s. Last year the company made its Sparks campus the headquarters for Integrated Diagnostic Solutions division, home to nearly 1,900 jobs ranging from research and development to manufacturing.
In a statement, BD Integrated Diagnostic Solutions president David Hickey said the company has remained open throughout the pandemic to make diagnostic tools for coronavirus and other diseases.
“We are glad to see our work benefit our friends and neighbors in Baltimore County,” he said.
Under a standing order from Baltimore County Health Officer Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch, any resident who wants to get tested for COVID-19 can do so without needing a recommendation from their doctor.
There are six testing sites in Baltimore County, five of which are operated by the county government. The Owings Mills Maryland Vehicle Emissions Program location is operated by the state.
- Baltimore Highlands Lansdowne Health Center
3902 Annapolis Road
Walk-up clinic, open Mondays from 3-6 p.m. - Liberty Family Resource Center
3525 Resource Drive, Randallstown
Walk-up clinic, open Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon - Dundalk Health Center
7700 Dunmanway
Walk-up clinic, open Mondays from 9 a.m. to noon - Maryland State Fairgrounds
2200 York Road, Timonium
Drive-through clinic, open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon - Owings Mills Maryland Vehicle Emissions Program (VEIP)
11510 Cronridge Drive
Drive-through clinic, open Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon - Baltimore Highlands Lansdowne Health Center
3902 Annapolis Road
Walk-up clinic, open Mondays from 3-6 p.m.
“With the recent addition of our walk-up testing clinic in the Lansdowne area, we are now providing testing at five locations across the County,” Dr. Branch said in a statement. “Multiple testing locations and ample testing kits are key to containing the transmission of this virus.”
As of Monday morning, Baltimore County had 7,537 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 8.3 percent percent of its population had been tested for the virus. State health officials are urging all local jurisdictions to test at least 10 percent of their residents.
For more information, residents can go to the county’s dedicated coronavirus site or call Baltimore County’s COVID-19 hotline at (410) 887-3816. The hotline operates seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
