LAMB COUNTY, Texas — On Friday, County Judge Mike DeLoach announced the county had received confirmation of its first confirmed case of COVID-19, also known as coronavirus.
In his statement, DeLoach said he wants to remind citizens this is not a surprise. He said they have been preparing for this situation.
The following is the full announcement from Lamb County Judge DeLoach:
On Friday, March 27, 2020, Lamb County Judge Mike DeLoach released the following statement after being contacted by the Texas Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”):
I have been contacted by the DSHS, who has confirmed a positive COVID- 19 case in a resident of Littlefield, Lamb County. We do not have any further information at this time. As is standard procedure, the DSHS is investigating this incident. Everything is being done that can be done to identify those who are directly affected by this situation. As new information is available, I will continue to receive updates and will keep the public up-to-date.
We encourage all citizens to continue to follow the policies and recommendations of the DSHS and the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”). Additionally, I encourage anyone who is contacted by the DSHS to cooperate fully, giving them as much information as possible to make sure all people affected by this case can be identified and monitored. Of course, if anyone is advised to self-quarantine, please do so.
I want to remind everyone that this is not a surprise to any of us—for some time now, COVID-I9 has been confirmed in most of the counties surrounding us. We have been working to prepare and respond to this virus in a safe and effective manner.
I hope the citizens of our great County will join me in remembering who we are. We are going to embrace this family, and respect their privacy while working to keep our citizens safe and healthy. The people of this County are good, Christian people. We look after our neighbors, and stand up for what is right. Nothing about that will change now. I want to assure the public their local governments (county and municipal) arc doing all we can to protect our citizens—it is up to each of us to be careful not to take unnecessary risks, and abide by an the recommendations of the DSHS and CDC.
As I have said several times, this is not a time to panic. Lamb County citizens must continue to do what we do best—take care of our families, and check on our neighbors. As always, I appreciate the cooperative and responsible efforts of our citizens, working together during an ever-changing time.”