City of Houston reports 3rd coronavirus case

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Here’s what we know so far about the 15 reported cases in the Houston area.

TOTAL CASES:

Houston (1 confirmed, 2 presumptive):
The Houston Health Department announced Wednesday night a presumptive case of a female in the 15 to 25 age range, who is currently experiencing mild symptoms and quarantined in her home. She recently traveled to New York state.

Man in his 60s or 70s who traveled on an Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case
Woman in her 60s or 70s who traveled on an Egyptian river cruise, case confirmed by the CDC

Montgomery County (1 presumptive):
Man in his 40s, presumptive positive case. He is a resident of northwest Montgomery County.
The patient’s results are still pending from the CDC.
County officials say he has no travel history outside the state of Texas.
The county also said it has reached out to the man’s close contacts and those most at risk. They are in self-quarantine, being monitored by the public health district.

As officials urged calm and common sense advice on preventing the spread of the illness during a Wednesday press conference, it may have come too late. The RodeoHouston BBQ on Feb. 28 was attended by the person that’s been identified as Montgomery County’s non-travel related coronavirus patient.

Montgomery County officials also announced that schools will be closing early for spring break Thursday and Friday for deep cleaning.

The county says 39 patients have been monitored since Feb. 7. Of those, 21 are still being monitored.

Health officials said they consider persons of interest those who are being tested for the disease. They are also monitoring those who have recent travel and airline history.

Harris County (2 confirmed, 3 presumptive):
Woman in her 20s to 30s, presumptive positive case, not linked to Egyptian river cruise. Officials say she was living in Italy.
Man who recently traveled on Egyptian river cruise, case confirmed by the CDC
Woman recently traveled on Egyptian river cruise, case confirmed by the CDC
Man in his 60s or 70s who recently traveled on Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case
Woman in her 60s or 70s who recently traveled on Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case

Fort Bend County (6 presumptive):
Man in his 70s who traveled on Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case
Woman in her 60s who traveled on Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case
Woman in her 60s who traveled on Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case
Man in his 70s who traveled on Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case
Man in his 70s who traveled on Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case
Woman in her 60s who traveled on Egyptian river cruise, presumptive positive case

March 11, 2020

We expect to learn more later today about the presumptive case of coronavirus in Montgomery County. Health officials say the patient is a man in his 40’s and the positive test has been sent to the CDC for confirmation.

Houston private school shuts down for 2 weeks after student possibly exposed to coronavirus

March 10, 2020

Coachella, Stagecoach festivals postponed to October over coronavirus concerns
The festival organizers confirmed the decision Tuesday afternoon: “While this decision comes at a time of universal uncertainty, we take the safety and health of our guests, staff and community very seriously.” Organizers say Coachella will take place October 9-11 & October 16-18 and Stagecoach will take place October 23-25. They also said that tickets purchased for the original April dates will be honored for the reschedule October dates, but that ticket holders can also get refunds if they are unable to attend.

Texas A&M delaying restart of classes after spring break
In the midst of growing coronavirus concerns in the state, Texas A&M University is planning to delay the restart of classes after spring break. The College Station campus will welcome back students on Wednesday, March 18, instead of the original restart date two days earlier.

Coronavirus concerns force 37 to quarantine after Houston Museum of Natural Science trip to Egypt
Thirty-seven people who toured Egypt have been asked by the City of Houston to isolate for 14 days, according to a statement from the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The group returned to Houston after a two-week journey, which ended on Monday. The traveling group included two HMNS staffers, the museum said.

Some insurers in Texas already waiving coronavirus testing costs
Gov. Greg Abbott and the state’s Department of Insurance have asked health insurers to waive costs associated with testing and telemedicine visits for the diagnosis of coronavirus.

“We must ensure no Texan is denied access to testing resources relating to coronavirus,” said Abbott.

March 9, 2020

HISD: Several people are on self-quarantine after traveling abroad
In a statement Monday night, HISD reminded families there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19, but announced that several people have been placed on a 14 day self-quarantine.

“Acting out of an abundance of caution, several individuals have been placed on a 14-day self-quarantine,” HISD said in a statement. “All self-quarantine individuals recently returned from a country on the CDC travel warning list or are closely related to someone who did. Schools will be identified specifically if cases are positively confirmed.”

As a precautionary measure, the impacted schools will undergo deep cleaning and sanitation, including fogging all the rooms with disinfectant and cleaning all air ducts.

Where are the coronavirus cases in the U.S.?

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