CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — One case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Kleberg County. Confirmation came this morning from regional hospital staff of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the City of Kingsville
According to Kleberg County Health officials, the patient is a middle-aged man from Kingsville and is in stable condition.
"Currently, the patient is quarantined and receiving medical treatment at an area hospital in Corpus Christi. This is a travel-related case with recent travel to Waco, TX. The Texas Department of State Health Services is now working in partnership with the man to conduct contact tracking to limit further transmission," stated officials.
The patient immediately went into self-quarantine when his symptoms began. The patient had no other contact with individuals in the household.
Officials say the patient sought treatment at an area hospital, and all medical personnel who had contact with the patient were outfitted with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
This positive coronavirus case is not a result of testing at the Kleberg County and City of Kingsville Joint Remote Testing Site.
Testing at the site continues, and at this point in time, none of the ongoing testing has resulted in a positive case.
“When this dangerous disease reached our country, we knew we had to monitor and protect our community and our neighboring communities as well,” said Kleberg County Judge Rudy Madrid.
“This confirmed case highlights the need for a regional COVID-19 testing site and that’s exactly why so many partners collaborated immediately and worked so hard to bring one here,” added Judge Madrid.
The Kleberg County and City of Kingsville Joint Remote Testing Site will continue to operate at Dick Kleberg Park.
"Due to a national shortage of PPE for providers across the nation, Kleberg County and the City of Kingsville have been notified by the Texas Department of State Health Services that testing will be condensed to two times per week. Testing will not occur this weekend," stated officials.
The new Kleberg County and City of Kingsville Joint Remote Testing Site hours will be Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
This will not reduce the number of people tested, but testing will now be done by appointment only.
“We need to make sure we identify, treat and isolate community members who have been infected with COVID-19,” Mayor Sam Fugate said.
“We have all the essentials in place to do that, but with reduced hours at the site, we’re really going to need our community to take our Stay-At-Home orders seriously,” added Mayor Fugate.
Stay-At-Home orders were issued for both Kleberg County and the City of Kingsville Thursday. The orders take effect at 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 27, 2020, and are mandatory. Violation of either order could result in a fine or jail time. The orders are a proactive measure designed to go hand in hand with testing.
The Kleberg County & City of Kingsville Joint Remote Testing Site began operating Saturday, March 21st in response to the global pandemic. “This site was opened after we engaged with our regional, local, state and federal partners and we made sure to develop an inclusive protocol for testing because we care for our neighbors and if it’s in our backyard, we knew eventually it would come here,” Judge Madrid said.
Kleberg County & City of Kingsville leaders will continue to receive test results seven days a week and will continue to update the community with critical information.
If you feel you may have been exposed to COVID-19 please call your primary care provider for a referral and appointment.
If you do not have a healthcare provider, please call the Texas Department of State Health Services regional screening office at (956) 423-0130 or Kingsville CHRISTUS Spohn at (361) 595-9746 for instructions and referrals.
Both city and county leaders remain committed to protecting the public from this deadly virus.
"We will continue to monitor local cases and alert the public of any possible exposure while adhering to federal privacy laws that are in place to protect patient confidentiality," added officials.
"If people will follow the rules, regulations, and guidelines set out by the CDC and the Governor's Office, the sooner we will get back to our normal lives," said Mayor Sam Fugate.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.