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Saturday, July 18, 2020

Governor Hogan and the test kits, The Hill's article...

This was captured before that article was pulled. Don't know why Washington Post and The Hill are now claiming this article doesn't exist.



Maryland governor was offered coronavirus tests from domestic distributor while complaining about US supply: report
BY KAELAN DEESE - 07/17/20 11:12 AM EDT

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) reportedly turned down offers for more than a million COVID-19 tests from authorized U.S. suppliers this spring while complaining he had no choice but to import 50Hogan wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post this week describing how he and his wife, Yumi Hogan, saw the purchase as a necessity because Maryland had "nowhere else to turn." In the op-ed, hVohrer said he once again reached out to Whitaker following Hogan's announcement, telling the Post that distributors had informed state officials they could supply the tests quickly and less expensively.Co-Diagnostics, Ricci said, approached the government of Maryland one week after an agreement was met with LabGenomics.

“Thanks to our partnership with LabGenomics and South Korea, we had the opportunity to upgrade to better, faster tests, which is critical at a time when a number of states are experiencing testing shortages," he said. "In this crisis, as diagnostic technology continues to make rapid advances, we are doing all we can to stay ahead of the game so we can find and fight the virus.”

—Updated at 4:48 p.m.
"The test I discussed with you is manufactured domestically, [by] Co-Diagnostics, and is $12.00 for the volume being purchased from Korea," the email said, according to the Post. "Volumes above one million units can get even better pricing, as low as $10."

Co-Diagnostics said they gained authorization to ship tests domestically in mid-March, with CEO Dwight Egan telling the Post that the company would have been "very anxious and capable" of processing a large order from the state.

Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci told The Hill that Maryland signed an agreement for tests with the South Korean company, LabGenomics, on April 2, 14 days after U.S. manufacturers said they could provide test kits domestically but before Vohrer's pitch to Whitaker.e criticized the Trump administration for what he called inaction amid the pandemic.

"Eventually, it was clear that waiting around for the president to run the nation's response was hopeless; if we delayed any longer, we'd be condemning more of our citizens to suffering and death. So every governor went their own way," Hogan wrote in the op-ed published Thursday. 

However, the Post reported that in April, U.S. manufacturers of kits could send tests to domestic labs by the millions. Experts said that testing was limited by other supplies at the time, including nasal swabs and chemical reagents for processing purposes.0,000 test kits from South Korea.

Emails obtained by The Washington Post reveal details about one domestic distributor's attempts to offer the state test kits at a lower price than what was offered from South Korean manufacturers.
"We had a call, presented what we had, and basically, I heard nothing back," Maryland-based sales consultant Rick Vohrer told the Post of an April 10 phone conversation between himself; the state health department's deputy director of governmental affairs, Jake Whitaker; and representatives of a Florida-based group distributing tests manufactured by Co-Diagnostics.

After the phone call, Vohrer also sent an email reviewing the test kit's emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.

Ten days after the call, Hogan announced the deal with the South Korean manufacturer, paying nearly $9.5 million for the shipment, or an average of around $18 per test.

Hogan said that he and his wife had been working on the deal since March 28.

Hogan wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post this week describing how he and his wife, Yumi Hogan, saw the purchase as a necessity because Maryland had "nowhere else to turn." In the op-ed, he criticized the Trump administration for what he called inaction amid the pandemic.

"Eventually, it was clear that waiting around for the president to run the nation's response was hopeless; if we delayed any longer, we'd be condemning more of our citizens to suffering and death. So every governor went their own way," Hogan wrote in the op-ed published Thursday.

However, the Post reported that in April, U.S. manufacturers of kits could send tests to domestic labs by the millions. Experts said that testing was limited by other supplies at the time, including nasal swabs and chemical reagents for processing purposes.

Vohrer said he once again reached out to Whitaker following Hogan's announcement, telling the Post that distributors had informed state officials they could supply the tests quickly and less expensively.

"The test I discussed with you is manufactured domestically, [by] Co-Diagnostics, and is $12.00 for the volume being purchased from Korea," the email said, according to the Post. "Volumes above one million units can get even better pricing, as low as $10."

Co-Diagnostics said they gained authorization to ship tests domestically in mid-March, with CEO Dwight Egan telling the Post that the company would have been "very anxious and capable" of processing a large order from the state.

Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci told The Hill that Maryland signed an agreement for tests with the South Korean company, LabGenomics, on April 2, 14 days after U.S. manufacturers said they could provide test kits domestically but before Vohrer's pitch to Whitaker.

Co-Diagnostics, Ricci said, approached the government of Maryland one week after an agreement was met with LabGenomics.

“Thanks to our partnership with LabGenomics and South Korea, we had the opportunity to upgrade to better, faster tests, which is critical at a time when a number of states are experiencing testing shortages," he said. "In this crisis, as diagnostic technology continues to make rapid advances, we are doing all we can to stay ahead of the game so we can find and fight the virus.”

—Updated at 4:48 p.m.

13 comments:

  1. Hogan is a sleazebag

    ReplyDelete
  2. just following suit with the typical libtarded knee jerk reaction we alwayd get from our Maryland Legislators. Most interfering, over regulated, burdening, GOB, Communist infested business environment in the United States get out now while you can.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bet a large deposit is going into a Yumi Hogan bank account somewhere soon. RINO Hogan believes in "Korea First"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Get a clue:

    The US companies were not made aware of a particular requirement for the test kits:
    They must show positive results

    If the States and Federal Government had informed the US manufacturers about that requirement, it is possible one of them would have gone public. So they kept it quiet and purchased test kits from communist countries who were corrupt enough to do business with the United States.

    Yes, things really are that bad (and worse).
    Most readers have no idea about the level of corruption and subterfuge going on right now.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bob Aswell ....RealistJuly 18, 2020 at 11:37 AM

    Violation of the 'Buy American act'? Tax money spent with the blessing of the Dims (his handlers) which were NOT appropriated by the Legislative body. The Feds should investigate this and if no more to find out if this lunacy can be connected to his ugly wife and any member of her family that profited. Marvin Mandel was a saint compared to this bald headed idiot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hogan the Horrible

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  7. He basically bought his retirement to South Korea when he purchased those bogus test kits. His escape from the US lol

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  8. Tested or not tested doesn't seem to make a difference in who lives or dies.

    ReplyDelete
  9. hogan us a never trumper and will do anything to make him look bad.

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  10. Chemo Larry doing his best to F--k up Maryland before he departs to South Korea! MOFO will never be President and if he throws his hat in the ring, Shame on him because the wrath of Marylanders will be merciless! NEVER HOGAN campaign starts here! That's right!

    ReplyDelete
  11. He should have got a test kit for his fkkd up unemployment in MD !!!!
    Alot of people suffered 2 months plus with the MESS !!!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. If the White Cowards had the balls they would do something to have that Fkg Crook recalled. I haven't liked him for the last 4 years. Didn't really like him prior to the Primaries. I voted for David Craig.

    ReplyDelete

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