Rep. Zwiener Addresses First Case Of Coronavirus In House District 45

Kyle, TX — On Saturday, Hays County announced the first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in House District 45. The patient recently returned from traveling on the west coast and is not believed to have exposed others in Hays County. Blanco County still has no confirmed cases. Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration on Friday.”

“The situation is serious, and we as a community need to take measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to save the lives of our vulnerable community members,” said Rep. Zwiener. “We will see more cases of COVID-19 in Central Texas as testing becomes more widely available, but it is essential that we remain calm and diligent in our efforts to slow down the spread. It’s time for everyone to take social distancing measures and continue to practice good hygiene.”

Though COVID-19 presents as a mild illness for most patients, preliminary numbers indicate that hospitalization may be required for 20% of patients.

Additionally, even with medical treatment death rates are at least 1%, ten times the rate of the seasonal flu. Individuals over 65 or with other medical conditions are especially at risk.

“Now is the time for all levels of government to pull together,” said Rep. Zwiener. “We need to offer clear guidance to our communities to cancel large gatherings, avoid contact with others whenever possible, and to stay home if they’re sick. This is not going to be a painless process, but it’s essential to prevent our hospitals from being overwhelmed and to save lives.”

The State of Texas, local governments, and health care providers are quickly ramping up information and infrastructure to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rep. Zwiener said that she was encouraged by efforts to ensure the availability of personal protective equipment to first responders and medical providers and to ensure that school districts could manage the logistics of closing without losing needed revenue or the ability to feed low-income students. However, she expressed frustration at the small numbers of Texans being tested.

“I am disappointed with the slow rollout of tests from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” said Rep Zwiener. “We would be able to address this better with more information. As testing capabilities increase, it is imperative that we expand the testing protocol to include our health and eldercare workers who are more likely to be exposed and more likely to pass the virus on to vulnerable individuals.”