Rio Grande City confirmed employees were sent home after it was discovered one city employee had been in contact with a coworker of the Roma man who was confirmed positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
“Late yesterday, we found out an RGC employee had contact with a coworker of the Roma resident who tested positive for COVID-19,” Rio Grande City Mayor Joel Villarreal said in a statement. “As a precautionary measure, several City employees were recommended to self-isolate while awaiting to be tested.”
Villarreal clarified that no city employee had come in direct contact with the infected individual and added the city plans to have all employees tested for good measure.
“City employees are still required to wear masks, maintain social distancing and disinfect common areas,” the mayor stated. “RGC is taking the advice and direction of the Starr County Health Authority Dr. Vazquez to ensure proper safety measures and protocols are being followed.”
The patient from Roma, a man in his mid-20s, is the 10th confirmed positive case in Starr County and is being considered the county’s first case of community spread, Dr. Jose Vazquez, the county’s health authority, said Tuesday.
However, Vazquez added it is unclear how the man contracted the disease.
He was tested last week at a mobile testing site at the Roma Community Center.
Because the site was run by the state, his case is being handled by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
