December 15, 2022

Media Contacts:

Chase Cook, Acting Director of Communications, 410-767-3536

Maryland Department of Health and partners increase access to COVID treatments in Baltimore

State Center and Infusion Center offer accessible test to treat and infusion treatments to keep Marylanders COVIDReady 

Baltimore, MD— As Marylanders head into the holidays and COVID case rates begin to rise, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and partners are offering increased access to COVID treatments at the State Center Vaccination, Testing, and Treatment Site (300 W. Preston Street) and the nearby BCCFH Infusion Center to meet a growing need for accessible, potentially life-saving COVID services.  

The State Center has expanded its hours for Test to Treat (T2T) services, open six days a week, and the BCCFH Infusion Center now offers remdesivir infusion seven days a week for patients who are not recommended for oral antivirals. Oral antivirals and remdesivir are now the only two treatment modalities available to Marylanders since the FDA no longer authorizes monoclonal antibodies for use in COVID treatment.    

State Center and the Infusion Center are both operated by the BCCFH COVID Task Force, a long-running partnership between MDH, University of Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins Medicine offering free COVID testing, treatment, and vaccination services to Marylanders.

“Being COVIDReady means knowing what to do if you test positive for COVID before it happens, and treatment can mean the difference between a mild case or severe illness and hospitalization,” said MDH Secretary Dennis R. Schrader. “State Center, and the BCCFH Infusion Center, are part of the over 90 locations in Maryland that offerTest 2 Treat services to anyone who needs them.”

BCCFH Infusion Center is one of only two facilities in Maryland offering remdesivir as an outpatient treatment. 

“We are seeing more patients coming in for treatment from all over Maryland,” said Charles Callahan, D.O., Director of the BCCFH COVID Task Force and Vice President of Population Health for the University of Maryland Medical Center. ““We are ready for whatever winter brings, so Marylanders can also be ready.” 

Test to Treat services are available at State Center with no appointment needed:*

• Mon: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• Tues: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

• Wed: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Thurs: 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Fri: 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

• Sat: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

*Please see BCCFH COVID Treatment for updates on holiday hours.

There are several other options for Marylanders to quickly get potentially life-saving COVID-19 treatment through the COVID Treatment Program if they test positive for COVID at home. Using this simple online form, anyone can self refer and answer a few questions to learn if they are eligible for treatment. They will be given the option to schedule a telehealth or phone consultation through the site — and if treatment is recommended — receive a prescription filled at the nearest participating pharmacy to them, or a referral for remdesivir infusion. 

Vaccinations, including bivalent boosters, are also available at State Center for Marylanders 6 months and older on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. No appointment is required. 

For more information about COVID-19 in Maryland, including treatment options, visit covidLINK.maryland.gov. For the most recent Maryland COVID-19 data, visit coronavirus.maryland.gov. 

Information about COVID-19 treatment is also available by calling 855-MDGOVAX (855-634-6829). To find a Test to Treat site near you, visit covidTEST.maryland.gov to locate one of more than 90 sites statewide. 

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The Maryland Department of Health is dedicated to protecting and improving the health and safety of all Marylanders through disease prevention, access to care, quality management and community engagement.