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Harris County Confirms Two New Coronavirus Cases

A sign telling visitors at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin to alert staff if they’ve traveled to a region with cases of COVID-19 and have certain respiratory symptoms.
Julia Reihs | KUT
A sign telling visitors at St. David’s Medical Center in Austin to alert staff if they’ve traveled to a region with cases of COVID-19 and have certain respiratory symptoms.";s:

Last updates 3:17 p.m. CT

Harris County on Thursday reported two new cases of the coronavirus in the county’s unincorporated northwest area, outside of Houston.

The two people — an unidentified man and woman — tested positive after traveling, Harris County Public Health said. It was not immediately clear where they traveled.

The tests were confirmed positive by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These are the second and third confirmed cases in the Houston area. On Tuesday, a 70-year-old Fort Bend County man was confirmed with a presumptive positive case of COVID-19. 

All three cases were travel-related, and there is still no evidence of community spread.

“Since January, we have been at an elevated level of readiness to prepare for and respond to a positive case here in Harris County,” read a statement from Harris County Public Health Executive Director Dr. Umair A Shah. “We will continue to take action by identifying potential contacts and monitoring them closely.”

Some recommended preventative measures:

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your coughs and sneezes. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Remember to wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe

This is a developing story.

This story was produced by Houston Public Media.