CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Two people in Corpus Christi remain under self-imposed quarantine in their homes having arrived recently from China, according to the City-County Health Department.
That is the latest update from local health officials on the extent of the COVID-19 coronavirus reach in the Coastal Bend.
Health experts stress that in the U.S., the risk to the general public for contracting the COVID-19 coronavius is low -- particularly if we follow some common sense practices. As of Wednesday night, there is just one Texas public health lab that can test for the coronavirus, and nine others that will start testing soon.
Experts say there is no reason to panic. 3News keeps saying that because while it is a little scary to hear of the quarantines in Texas, we want to keep emphasizing that the risk to the general public is low. Many have called and emailed us expressing concerns about keeping the virus at bay.
On Wednesday the City-County Public Health District provided the update that there are currently only two of five local residents who recently traveled to China who are still being monitored for any signs of illness. The remaining three were cleared after 14 days.
"We're doing our due diligence to keep the community safe, and so we make sure that we monitor them according to the CDC guidelines," said Annette Rodriguez with the City-County Public Health District. "Check temperatures twice a day and make sure that they're staying healthy."
As the news of the spreading COVID-19 coronavirus continues, so too does life. Several area businesses have stepped up their cleaning protocols in response to the headlines.
At the highly popular Southside Barbacoa restaurant, employees are making sure all surfaces accessible to the public are thoroughly wiped down.
"We are being very diligent with our hand washing," Manager Cassandra Martinez said. "We have stepped that up more. Even if we're touching some cash or a debit card. We have hand sanitizer here for our customers that are leaving and for us as well because we handle a lot of cash, and people cough and sneeze and they're not aware that they're touching and spreading germs."
Coastal Bend residents are also looking to do their part to stop the spread. Leticia Montez checked in with her doctor Wednesday and along with her regular check up, she asked a lot of questions about the coronavirus and how to prevent herself from getting sick. She said she works for a local school district and said they too are doing the best they can to keep their schools clean and safe.
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