Hays County Reports First Presumptive Positive COVID-19 Case

By Arlett Ramirez
Assistant Web Content Manager

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Hays County reported its first presumptive positive COVID-19 case on Saturday Mar. 14..

Following the announcement, the City of San Marcos along with Hays County is planning to declare a state of disaster and will be holding a joint press conference at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Mar. 15 at the Historic Hays County Courthouse, 111 E San Antonio St, first floor rotunda. The event will be livestreamed on Facebook at the City of San Marcos TX – City Hall page. 

“The declaration activates our emergency plan and will allow us to allocate resources and to utilize all disaster funding and resources available through state and federal agencies,” Mayor Jane Hughson said. “We knew we would eventually see cases in our area, and have been working cooperatively with our regional partners to protect our residents. We remind everyone to remain calm and to continue to practice preventive measures.”

“As this is a pandemic disease, we fully expected to see cases in Hays County and have been preparing for this situation,” County Judge Ruben Becerra said in a statement. “We have been working with local and state officials to ensure that protocols are established and followed, and that we have access to additional resources should they be necessary.”

According to Hays County, the presumptive positive patient traveled to multiple cities along the West Coast of the United States and is believed to have been exposed while traveling. The patient notified Hays County Local Health Department about their symptoms upon arrival back to Central Texas. The patient was admitted to a local hospital and has since been released to self-quarantine at home. At no time did they expose any Hays County residents to this disease.

According the CDC, a presumptive positive case is when a patient has tested positive by a local health laboratory but the results are still pending confirmation from a CDC lab.  

The Hays County Local Health Department is working with the Department of State Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to notify the passengers that were potentially exposed while on the plane with the patient. 

Contact health providers or the Hays County Local Health Department at 512-393-5520 if you have any questions about COVID-19 or if you are concerned that you have been exposed. If you are experiencing symptoms, health professionals recommend calling ahead and consulting with your physician’s office prior to arrival. 

San Marcos will continue to follow the guidelines set forth by the State Department of Health Services, the Hays County Health Department and the CDC. Current updates and links can be found here.