Austin’s top health official on Tuesday told Travis County leaders that at least one person is being tested locally for the new coronavirus, but no cases have been confirmed in Central Texas.

Mark Escott, interim medical director and health authority for Austin Public Health, said federal health policy prevents him from revealing how many people in Travis County were being tested for the virus. But he did say local health officials would provide more information if that individual, or individuals, test positive for the virus.

"This is a recent development," Escott told Travis County commissioners in a briefing on the new coronavirus. "We are not going to provide numbers or details about the persons under investigation."

The city of Austin on Tuesday shifted to the second phase of its five-phase response plan to the new coronavirus, which is "testing in progress," according to Escott. Austin had been in the first phase through Monday, which is "persons under monitoring."

However, criteria for coronavirus testing created by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently changed, Austin Public Health spokeswoman Jen Samp said. People no longer need to have traveled to certain countries, such as China, to be tested, according to Samp.

"Because the guidelines are expanded, you’re going to start seeing more people under investigation, and that’s why we’re in phase two," Samp said.

Austin Public Health officials are in contact with physicians to update them on the new case definition for the new coronavirus, she said.

Escott said at least one person being tested for the virus in Travis County did recently travel to an area where new coronavirus cases are prevalent. While Escott said he could not say where the person traveled to, citing confidentiality guidelines, he did say local physicians were concerned and asked the CDC to allow them to test the patient for the virus.

Health officials test for the new coronavirus by swabbing a patient’s nose or mouth and sending the sample to the CDC, according to Escott. He said it takes about two to three days for the CDC to test the sample and send it back to the treating physicians.

Escott said that if someone were under testing for the new coronavirus, they would be isolated to hospitals or their own homes while they await results.

"We’ve had a partial activation of the city and county’s Emergency Operations Center starting yesterday," Escott said, adding that the activation’s purpose was to look over the county’s current health guidelines and add new protocols if necessary.

"Again, the risk as of today and right now is low to the general public regarding COVID-19," he said, referring to the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

Escott said he put together a panel of health experts who planned to meet Tuesday night to discuss guidelines in case of a coronavirus outbreak in Central Texas. The meeting’s priorities include discussing protocols for mass gatherings, such as the upcoming South by Southwest festivals, and setting up protections for vulnerable populations in nursing homes, schools and treatment facilities.

The new coronavirus has caused a global health concern with at least 92,000 cases and 3,100 deaths worldwide. In the United States as of Tuesday, according to the CDC, at least 60 cases have been confirmed across 12 states, and nine people have died from the virus.

Texas has at least 10 infected people under quarantine in San Antonio. On Tuesday, San Antonio officials said they planned to release more than 120 Diamond Princess cruise ship evacuees who did not test positive for the new coronavirus.

The evacuees had been scheduled to be released Monday, but San Antonio officials declared a local public health emergency to stop the quarantine from being lifted, according to the San Antonio Express-News. City officials then went to court to fight for a temporary restraining order to halt the release, but their requests were denied.

Only individuals who were symptom-free throughout the 14 days of quarantine were going to be released, officials said Tuesday. Those who were previously symptomatic were only allowed to leave quarantine if they tested negative twice within 24 hours, according to officials.

San Antonio city officials on Tuesday planned to bus the evacuees to San Antonio International Airport in shifts. Airport staff said they would then escort the evacuees to the ticket counters and through security.