There are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Corpus Christi, City Manager Peter Zanoni said.

Six Corpus Christi residents have traveled back home from China in recent weeks. None of these travelers displayed symptoms, but were monitored as a precaution by The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zanoni said.

So far, four have been cleared of having the virus, he said.

The residents self-monitored and had to report their temperature for 14 days to the Corpus Christi-Nueces City County Health District.

There have also been a "handful" of residents in the past six weeks who thought they might have the virus and sought consultation from a doctor. None of the cases were coronavirus.

City and county officials — including Mayor Joe McComb, County Judge Barbara Canales, Zanoni and health officials — met this week and last to stay on top of new information from the CDC. They'll continue to meet regularly, and more often if needed, Zanoni said.

"In the event something happens," county and city officials want to be ready and proactive, Zanoni said.

Last week, the city and county selected a new physician to serve as the Corpus Christi-Nueces City County Health District's Local Health Authority. Dr. Srikanth Ramachandruni, or Dr. Ram, is an infectious disease specialist and works at four major hospitals in Corpus Christi.

He's the first infectious disease physician who has worked in Corpus Christi in many years, Zanoni said.

The local health district is communicating with the Texas Department of State Health Services daily as well as the CDC on a weekly basis. The communication efforts are crucial for staying up to date with new and interim CDC guidelines that are evolving constantly, according to a city news release.

Corpus Christi's health district has one of the 10 labs in the Texas Laboratory Response Network. Corpus Christi's lab does have coronavirus testing kits, but isn't yet allowed to test for the virus. Right now, all specimens in Texas have to be sent to the CDC in Atlanta.

There have been more than 80 reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and as of Monday, two people with the virus have died. The deaths happened at Evergreen Health in King County, Washington. Both victims had underlying health conditions.

The global death count is more than 3,000 and there are more than 90,000 confirmed cases.

As of Feb. 27, six people with the virus were under quarantine at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.

Fighting coronavirus

The CDC recommends that the best tools to prevent coronavirus infection are these everyday actions:

Wash your hands often

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

Avoid close contact with people who are sick

Stay home when you are sick

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands again

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

The Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District recommends calling the Health District at 361-826-7200 before going to the doctor’s office if you have recently traveled to China, other highly infected areas, or been exposed to someone diagnosed with coronavirus.

Texas Department of State Health Services has set up a coronavirus hotline residents can call as well: 877-570-9779.

Staff writers Alex Rodriguez and Ashlee Burns contributed to this report.

Kathryn Cargo follows business openings and developments while reporting on impacts of the city government’s decisions. See our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe.

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