State of Disaster declared in Hays County after first presumptive positive COVID-19 case confirmed

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The city of San Marcos and Hays County declared a State of Disaster after the first presumptive positive COVID-19 case was confirmed in the county on Saturday.

City and county officials announced the State of Disaster Sunday morning in a press conference, which was live-streamed on the city’s Facebook page. You can also watch the press conference below:

By declaring a State of Disaster in Hays County, officials can utilize state funding and other resources to help combat the spread of the coronavirus, according to officials.

“We knew we would eventually see cases in our area. There’s no reason to panic,” San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson said. “We’re prepared to take the actions necessary to keep the community safe.”

Several mayors in the region took to the podium, urging county residents to remain calm, stay positive and follow the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Grocery stores in the area are still able to keep up with purchases and have the supplies needed to restock, officials say.

City of San Marcos officials says it will not be canceling any city events at this time due to COVID-19; however, the city will be looking into new social distancing procedures.

Officials also addressed the presumptive positive COVID-19 case in the county and said the patient is 44-years-old and is still waiting for official positive confirmation from the CDC.

Multiple people in Hays County have been tested so far for the coronavirus, officials say.

The patient is believed to have been exposed to the coronavirus while traveling to multiple cities along the U.S. West Coast, according to a news release.

Officials say the patient was treated at a local hospital and is now self-quarantining at home.

The Hays County Local Health Department, the U.S. Department of State Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working to notify the passengers that shared a flight with the coronavirus patient of their exposure to the virus. However, no other Hays County residents were exposed, officials say.

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

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