HARRIS COUNTY, TX — The Harris County Public Health (HCPH) is reporting its first two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Harris County.
HCPH says the tests have been verified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A man and a woman from the unincorporated area of northwest Harris County, outside of Houston, tested positive for COVID-19. HCPH says the cases are travel-related and, at this time, there is no evidence of community spread.
These are the second and third confirmed cases reported in the Houston metropolitan area. Fort Bend County reported a presumptive positive case on Wednesday, March 4.
“Since January, we have been at an elevated level of readiness to prepare for and respond to a positive case here in Harris County,” said Harris County Public Health Executive Director, Dr. Umair A Shah, MD, MPH. “We will continue to take action by identifying potential contacts and monitoring them closely.”
“The best tools to fight the spread of this illness are facts, not fear,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. “Residents should know that we have been leaning forward to make sure our response to this illness continues to be proactive and coordinated with a wide array of local, state and federal officials. Each of our residents is a member of our public health team, and we are urging everyone to learn the facts about this virus and take simple steps to help contain the spread by visiting www.ReadyHarris.org.”
