Officials announcing the first Nueces County case of COVID-19 include Director of City/County Public Health Annette Rodriguez (left), County Judge Barbara Canales, Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb, and City Manager Peter Zanoni. Screen capture taken from Facebook live
Nueces County recorded its first case of COVID-19, officials announced during a news conference Saturday, March 21. The patient, who is now in quarantine, is a man between the ages of 45-55. He is believed to have been infected while on a one-day business trip to Houston.
“We knew this day would come,” said Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales. “We planned for it, and it’s here.”
She stressed the importance of social distancing, staying home, and washing hands thoroughly.
The COVID-19 patient is expected to recover, said Dr. Srikanth Ramachandruni, an infectious disease specialist.
Health officials are “contact tracing” to identify anyone who came in contact with the patient to monitor them for symptoms.
Symptoms of the disease began with a headache for the unnamed Corpus Christi resident. A few days later, he developed a cough followed by a fever. He began showing his first symptoms six days after his visit to Houston.
As of March 23, Texas has reported about 300 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Corpus Christi has set up a drive-through testing site and will soon open a second.
If you think you have the coronavirus, contact the Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District at 361-826-7200, and a representative will give you instructions. Check the city’s webpage for more information.
For information on how to protect yourself, your home, and your family, and to keep up with the latest closures and news, visit our Resources webpage at ccbiznews.com/covid-19.
“You must take care of yourself,” Canales said. “You must learn to take care of each other. The precautions that the governor has asked of all Texans are critical to beating this virus, and we are going to beat it.”
