Copperas Cove officials monitoring COVID-19
By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
With the numbers of those infected with Coronavirus (COVID-19) growing worldwide, the City of Copperas Cove issued a statement on Friday regarding how it is watching the disease’s spread, particularly in the state of Texas.
“The city is monitoring information on Coronavirus (COVID-19) being disseminated from various agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health and emergency management,” stated Gary Young, Deputy Fire Chief/Emergency Management Coordinator in a press release.
“All city departments are appraising protocols for continuity of operations. As a medical provider, Copperas Cove EMS responses will follow guidelines from the CDC, the Texas Department of State Health Services, and our emergency services policies.
“The city has not been notified of suspected or confirmed cases of Coronavirus infections in Central Texas. Citizens are encouraged to not panic in any situation, continue good personal and family hygiene practices, monitor official government communications and media reports, and continue with normal daily activities until otherwise notified.”
As of Friday, March 7, there were a total of eight cases in the state of Texas, according to the Texas Department of Health Services, which reported three additional travel-related cases of the virus.
“These cases are among the same group that traveled overseas together and were being monitored by public health because of a possible exposure to COVID-19,” TDHS stated on their website.
By Tuesday morning, the TDHS added five more confirmed cases of COVID-19. Four of the cases are related to a Nile River cruise in Egypt, and one in Collin County, also travel related. The tally of 13 also includes six in Fort Bend County and six in Harris County.
The CDC has confirmed multiple cases of people under federal quarantine at JBSA-Lackland in San Antonio. The first was a traveler who returned on a U.S. State Department-chartered flight from Wuhan City, China. The others returned on a State Department flight for passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. Most of the travelers have completed their quarantine period and returned home. Some who tested positive will remain isolated until they test negative for the virus and are no longer at risk of spreading it.
The CDC has the latest information on the number of people under quarantine who are infected and is updating its national numbers each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Those cases are not included in the Texas case count.
The CDC has information on how to prepare and take action for COVID-19, which may be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html..
The CDC recommends household practices for prevention, to include
• Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
• Staying home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
• Cleaning frequently touched surfaces and objects daily such as tables, countertops, light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet handles, using a regular household detergent and water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also issued a list of cleaning and disinfection products to include bleach products and bleach-based cleansers and wipes, with the full list at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-03/documents/sars-cov-2-...
• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, it is recommended to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
The new coronavirus was first detected in late December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and caused an outbreak of respiratory disease in countries around the world. On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization named the disease coronavirus disease 2019, or “COVID‑19”.
There have been tens of thousands of cases of COVID‑19 in China, with the virus reportedly spreading from person-to-person in parts of that country. COVID‑19 illnesses, most of them associated with travel from Wuhan, also are being reported in a growing number of international locations, including the United States. Some person-to-person spread of this virus outside China has been detected.
The United States reported the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with this virus on January 30, 2020.
The CDC has confirmed multiple cases of coronavirus in people under federal quarantine at JBSA-Lackland in San Antonio. The first was a traveler who returned on a U.S. State Department-chartered flight from Wuhan City, China. The others returned on a State Department flight for passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, Japan. Most of the travelers have completed their quarantine period and returned home. Some individuals who tested positive will remain isolated until they test negative for the virus and are no longer at risk of spreading it. The CDC has the latest information on the number of people under quarantine who are infected and is updating its national numbers each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Those cases are not included in the Texas case count.