Local emergency to be declared after second coronavirus case confirmed in Fresno County

Major story update:

»» ‘COVID-19 is here.’ Fresno County declares state of emergency in response to coronavirus

Original story:

The Fresno County Department of Public Health confirmed Saturday a second case of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Department of Public Heath plans to announce a local emergency proclamation on Tuesday in response to this second travel-related case.

In a news statement, the department said this case was not community acquired.

The FCDPH Communicable Disease Investigation Program has started tracing back all the people the patient may have come in contact with in the community.

Officials added that the announcement has not changed the risk levels for Fresno County, and that there is no immediate threat to the general public.

“We are proclaiming a local emergency to more efficiently respond to the event at hand and to better respond as a community,” Interim Health Officer Dr. Rais Vohra said. “We want to be able to lower anxiety levels in our community. We will get through this. We are better together.”

The first coronarvirus case in Fresno County was announced last week when an elderly Fresno County man tested positive for the coronavirus after he traveled on a Grand Princess cruise ship in late February.

On Friday night, officials in Tulare County announced a second patient had tested positive after traveling to the Bay Area.

This story was originally published March 14, 2020 at 8:30 PM.