The state's first coronavirus case identified outside of a Texas quarantine site is a man in his 70s who lives in the Houston area, Fort Bend County health officials said Wednesday.
The man recently traveled abroad, county officials said, he has been hospitalized and is in stable condition.
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“The presumptive case is actionable and we are treating it as a positive," the county's statement said. "Fort Bend County Health & Human Services has started an epidemiological investigation and is leading the effort to quickly identify close contacts with the individual.”
If the presumptive case is confirmed, it would be the 12th instance of coronavirus in Texas. The other cases have all been people who caught the COVID-19 disease overseas and were quarantined at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
The base has been designated as one of the nation's quarantine centers for people considered at risk of being exposed to the virus overseas. On Tuesday, more than 120 people were released after being cleared after being cleared by health authorities.
"Remaining calm is of utmost importance," the Fort Bend County statement said. Local health officials urged people not to visit the emergency room unless necessary and to wash hands, cover sneezes and coughs and stay home when sick.