As of Wednesday, public health authorities said there are no cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Corpus Christi or Nueces County.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The World Health Organization has officially classified the COVID-19 coronavirus as a pandemic since it is a new virus, there has been sustained person-to-person transmission, and it is now spreading throughout the world.

In the U.S. there are now 1,000 confirmed cases and more than 30 people have died as a result.

On Wednesday, City of Corpus Christi and Nueces County leaders held a joint news conference to deliver a message of preparation and pro-activeness.

You can watch the entire press conference below:

As of Wednesday, public health authorities said there are no cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Corpus Christi or Nueces County.

"The best defense is to stay informed, to stay educated, and to stay safe," Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb said.

Leaders Wednesday reassured the public that services, departments and first responders are prepared and ready to go should there be an outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the city or county.

Representatives from the City-County Public Health District said the situation is quote "quickly evolving." Annette Rodriguez, Health District Director, said community health partners are now following CDC guidelines, which includes how calls to 911 will be handled.

"That's actually added to the dispatch questions, so they're asking 'Have you traveled recently?' If they've traveled within the last two weeks, 'Where have you traveled to?'," Rodriguez said.

A placard was set up at the news conference to illustrate what should be done to help keep the COVID-19 coronavirus at bay, including proper hygiene techniques, do's and don'ts, and a phone number for people to call if they have any questions or if they believe they could be sick. That number is 361-826-7200.

You can find more information from the City of Corpus Christi here.

3News went Live from the news conference and will keep you updated as more information becomes available.