Hays County, City of San Marcos issue State of Disaster as COVID-19 concerns grow

Hays County and the City of San Marcos issued a joint State of Disaster declaration Sunday after a 44-year-old county resident tested presumptively positive for COVID-19. 

The county made the announcement Saturday that it had its first presumptive case of the coronavirus. With a state of disaster, the county and city will be able to access state and federal funds to aid response to COVID-19. 

“I am leading a plan that is locally executed, state coordinated and federally supported,” County Judge Ruben Becerra. “This declaration … is to stay ahead of things and also to solidify and open up other channels of resources to keep us ahead. We’re doing the best thing we can by doing this.”

San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson said the city has been working on the collaborative response with the county for weeks. The state of disaster declaration activates the city’s emergency plan and will allow the city to allocate resources to utilize all disaster funding and resources available through state and federal agencies. 

“We knew we would eventually see cases in our area,” Hughson said. “There is no reason to panic. It’s time for everyone to remain calm and to continue to practice preventive measures. We’re prepared to take the actions necessary to keep our community safe … We’re in this together and we’ll get past this together with our coordinated effort.” 

The Hays County resident who tested presumptively positive for COVID-19 traveled to multiple cities on the United States West Coast where they are believed to have been exposed to the illness there.

The resident reported their symptoms to the Hays County Local Health Department upon arriving back to Central Texas. The patient was admitted to a local hospital and later released. The county said the patient will self-quarantine until they are symptom-free for 48 hours without use of fever-reducing medication.

Hays County Epidemiologist Eric Schneider said that the patient did not have any other contact with a county resident. 

“Upon arriving back to Hays County, they were in the county for just a couple of hours, they were already symptomatic and running a fever,” Schneider said. “They reached out to me and checked all the boxes so we made sure that we got them into a local hospital. The hospital had all the proper procedures in place. They met them outside and snuck them through a side door to not get them in contact with anyone in the lobby … I just want to reiterate that at no point did this person come in contact with a Hays County resident, so the threat to the public is extremely low if not non-existent at all.”

Schneider is currently working with Center for Disease Control to help notify the passengers that were potentially exposed while on the plane with the patient. Testing from the Hays County resident is expected back from the CDC this week. 

Schneider said the coronavirus is just a virus and it’s something that mimics the flu.

“It spreads around the exact same way,” Schneider said, adding that doctors in the county can now test for COVID-19. “A lot of people in the county will probably end up getting this disease. But the majority of people that get his disease can stay home, just like you would normally with the flu or a cold.”

Although the threat of COVID-19 may currently be low, county and city officials stressed the importance of practicing social distancing and continuing to wash hands thoroughly and avoid going out if you're sick.  

“I will share with you that although the risk of severe illness may be low, we want every resident in this county to take personal responsibility to prevent the spread,” Becerra said. 

Changes to City of San Marcos meetings and operations

• The city council meeting and work session on Tuesday will continue as scheduled. The public, however, is encouraged to send written public comment by email to citizencomment@sanmarcostx.gov and to watch the live stream of the meeting at http://www.sanmarcostx.gov/421/City-Council-Videos-Archives or on the Government channel on Grande channel 16 and Spectrum channel 10 beginning at 3 p.m..  Written citizen comment will be accepted up to 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
• All other board and commission meetings scheduled for the week of March 16-20 have been cancelled or postponed, which includes the Parking Advisory Board, Airport Advisory Board, Arts Commission, Main Street Advisory Board, Neighborhood Commission and the San Marcos Youth Commission Meeting. 
• Spring Break Camp continues as scheduled but the program has been adjusted for participants to remain at the Dunbar Center for the entirety of the week. Staff have been in communication with the parents of all those signed up for the camp.
• Municipal Court will be resetting all court dockets scheduled through April 1 until a date later in April and May. Defendants who have an appearance date noted on their citation from now through April 1, 2020, and have not scheduled a court date yet, may call the court at 512-393-8190 to do so. The Municipal Court Customer service counter at the Hays County Government Center, 712 S Stagecoach Trail, will be open to the public during regular scheduled business hours. The court also accepts payments over the phone and via the website at http://www.sanmarcostx.gov/696/Payments.

What is COVID-19? 

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to SARS and MERS viruses that have caused previous outbreaks. The disease is caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. COVID-19 may take up to 2-14 days after exposure to appear. The disease can cause a wide range of respiratory illnesses, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The disease originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019.

Total cases worldwide: 153,648
Total cases in U.S.: 1,629
Total cases in Texas: 56
Deaths worldwide: 5,746
Deaths in Texas: 0 
(Sources: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization and Texas Department of State Health Services)

Tips to prevent the spread of COVID-19

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds several times a day, including between your fingers and underneath your nails. Handwashing is considered the best way to remove germs and dirt, and hand sanitizers should be used only when handwashing is not available. The hand sanitizers should be at least 60 percent alcohol to be effective. 
• Avoid handshaking and high-fives
• Avoid touching your face – especially your eyes nose, and mouth
• Stay home when you feel sick
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue then put the tissue in the trash, or use the crook of your elbow if a tissue isn’t available
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household disinfectant cleaning spray or wipe. Clean cell and desk phones, computer keyboards, door handles, and work surfaces often.
• Face masks are not considered an effective way to prevent someone from catching a virus unless you have close, frequent contact with a sick person; however, they are an option for sick people to use to keep from spreading the virus.
• Avoid travel to areas that have been designated high-risk areas because of multiple verified cases of coronavirus.