Lord Baltimore Hotel has been a longtime historic stable in the city and is now serving a bigger purpose during the COVID-19 era.
The popular hotel is now a free isolation center for those diagnosed with COVID-19. According to The Baltimore Sun, there have been over 600 people to stay in the hotel since May. The hotel provides refuge for those who are not ill enough to stay in the hospital but who also cannot self-quarantine at home.
This free initiative was made possible by Baltimore and the University of Maryland Medical System and $103 million received by the city of Baltimore from the federal coronavirus relief bill. The funding expires in December, but Baltimore city officials are planning to secure funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to The Baltimore Sun.
In addition to helping residents who aren’t able to self-isolate at home, 20 of the 60 Lord Baltimore Hotel employees who were laid off in the beginning of the pandemic have been hired back.