The Cameron County Public Health Department reported its first potential community-acquired case of the coronavirus late Tuesday night.
According to a news release, the infected individual, a 40-year-old man from Rio Hondo, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently under home isolation.
There are currently seven cases of the virus reported in Cameron County and five in Hidalgo County.
“Based on the information we have received thus far, the individual has no known exposure through travel or contact with another case,” Health Administrator Esmeralda Guajardo wrote in the release. “We are continuing our investigation to identify if this is a case of community transmission.”
Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. ordered a shelter-in-place for the county that goes into effect beginning at midnight on March 25.
“Now that we have a possible community-acquired case, it is more important than ever that the public shelter in place as it will assist us in the efforts to minimize the exposure to the community,” Trevino wrote in the statement.
As part of the COVID-19 action response plan, Cameron County is conducting the epidemiological investigation to identify others who may have been exposed and test the individuals showing signs and symptoms, the release read.
