SAN ANTONIO – The Texas Department of State Health Services is ready to help provide support for coronavirus evacuees at JBSA-Lackland.
According to a news release, the Texas Center for Infectious Disease, the state’s tuberculosis treatment facility in San Antonio, will accept evacuees who are awaiting test results or who have a confirmed case of the disease, but who don’t require hospital care.
Recommended Videos
“TCID is in use as of today (Tuesday). We’re not going to provide a running count of people there or specifics about the patients,” said Chris Van Deusen, director of media relations at the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Top Bexar County official wants coronavirus evacuees kept at Lackland, away from local hospitals
TCID has 22 rooms set aside in a wing of the facility that is closed off from the rest of the building to prevent evacuees from coming into contact with staff or patients receiving tuberculosis treatment, a TDSHS official said.
All rooms have state-of-the-art capabilities, including negative air pressure to isolate patients and prevent germs from spreading within the facility.
What we know about the coronavirus, cruise ship evacuees at Lackland
Care will be provided by members of the Texas Infectious Disease Response Unit, a team of medical professionals organized by the state following the 2014 Ebola outbreak to deploy to hospitals and treat patients who may have a very serious infectious disease.