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Coronavirus community spread suspected in Brazoria County; patients attended Houston Rodeo

The individuals, who reside in the same household in Alvin, self-reported after going to the Houston Rodeo cook-off and livestock show and have not traveled outside the Houston area.

by Raga Justin

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was shut down after concerns of the spread of the coronavirus in Houston
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was shut down after concerns of the spread of the coronavirus in Houston. Photo credit:  Katie Haugland Bowen/Flickr

Coronavirus in Texas

Get the latest updates on coronavirus in Texas here. At least 199 Texans’ deaths have been linked to COVID-19, and at least 10,230 people have been diagnosed with the disease. Hospitals are adding more beds, while medical professionals and state leaders are urging Texans to socially distance themselves from others. The state is testing thousands of people a day, but it is often taking longer than a week for Texans to get those results. Learn more about how to get tested here. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Texans are without work as unemployment claims overload the state’s systems. Schools across the state are closed at least until May 4. And Texans all over the state are confronting new challenges during the pandemic.  

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Brazoria County is reporting its first two cases of the new coronavirus in what is possibly the third instance of community spread in the state.

The individuals, who reside in the same household in Alvin, self-reported after attending the Houston Rodeo cook-off and livestock show and have not traveled outside the Houston area. Lanny Brown, manager of Brazoria’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness, said officials could not confirm when the individuals attended those events but that testing happened Thursday.

The individuals are in their mid-30s to mid-40s. Brown said he could not confirm their family status. They are both being quarantined at home and were not hospitalized.

The absence of travel suggests community spread, but official confirmation is pending investigation. Both Dallas and Montgomery counties reported community spread earlier this week.

As of Saturday afternoon, Texas had 62 known cases of COVID-19 — 11 cases stemming from people who were abroad and forced into a federal quarantine site in San Antonio's Lackland Air Force Base.

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