Kern County's first coronavirus patient confirmed

Kern County's first coronavirus patient confirmed

HEALTH OFFICIALS - BUTWHAT THEY WERE ABLE TO TELL USWAS THAT THIS PATIENT TESTEDPOSITIVE AT A LOCAL MEDICALFACILITY HERE IN KERN COUNTY -AND IS RECOVERING AT HOME.PUBLIC HEALTH WAS NOTIFIED AT 4A.M.

THIS MORNING - SINCETHEN THEY'VE BEEN MONITORINGTHOSE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERSWHO MAY HAVE COME INTO CONTACTWITH THE PATIENT -OFFICIALS ARE ALSO TRYING TOIDENTIFY WHETHER THEINDIVIDUAL CONTRACTED COVID-19IN KERN COUNTY, ORWHETHER THEY CAUGHT IT ELSEWHEREAND BROUGHT IT INTOTHE COMMUNITY.

FOR NOW - THATPATIENT IS IN QUARANTINE."THE PERSON IS STILL IN KERNCOUNTY - ACCORDING TO THEPROCEDURES, YOUARE ASKED TO SELF ISOLATE."SOME SAY IT WAS JUST A MATTER OFTIME - KERN COUNTY HEALTHOFFICIALS CONFIRMING THE FIRSTPATIENT TO TEST POSITIVEARE ASKED TO SELF ISOLATE."SOME SAY IT WAS JUST A MATTER OFTIME - KERN COUNTY HEALTHOFFICIALS CONFIRMING THE FIRSTPATIENT TO TEST POSITIVEFOR THE CORONAVIRUS HERE.

NOWOFFICIALS AREINVESTIGATING WHETHER OTHERSWERE EXPOSED."AS IT STANDS NOW - WE HAVE 5HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS THAT WE AREBEGINNING TO INVESTIGATE ANDWE'RE ASSESSING IF THERE AREOTHERCLOSE CONTACTS THAT WE NEEDINVESTIGATE."OFFICIALS DID NOT PROVIDEINFORMATION ABOUT WHERETHIS PERSON TRAVELLED FROM - HOWLONG THEY HAVE BEEN IN THECOUNTY - WHAT CITY IN THE COUNTYTHIS PATIENT IS IN - ORWHAT PLACES IN TOWN THEY HAVEVISITED."WHAT DO YOU TELL PEOPLE AT HOMEWHOARE CONCERNED ABOUT NOT HAVINGTHIS INFORMATION?""WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO DOEVERYTHING THAT CAN TO PROTECTTHEMSELVES, HEED THE WARNINGSTHAT HAVE BEEN PROVIDED, LIMITTHOSE SOCIALGATHERS."RESIDENTS IN TOWN CLEARED THESHELVES IN MANY GROCERYSTORES BEFORE A POSITIVECORONAVIRUS TEST WAS EVENCONFIRMED HERE - NOW SOME SAMETHE HYSTERIA IS GETTING ALL TOOREAL."IT'S PRETTY SCARY - I'M A DENTALHYGIENIST AND WE'RE NUMBER ONEFOR THEPEOPLE WHO CAN GET THIS VIRUS,SO IT IS PRETTY SCARY."THOSE MOST VULNERABLE TOCOVID-19 - TAKING GUARD.WORRIED ABOUT COVID-19 SPREAD"NOW IT'S MORE SERIOUS, I HAVE ACOMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM, SODOES MY SON AND DAUGHTER.

NOW WEHAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES."BEING OVER 65 - YOU CAN'T GO OUTTOO MUCH BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TRUSTPEOPLEAND HAVE TO STAY AWAY FROMPEOPLE."HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY 84 PEOPLEHAVE BEEN TESTED FOR THECORONAVIRUS - 36 TESTS WERENEGATIVE AND 48 ARE STILLPENDING.AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THEPATIENT WHO TESTED POSITIVE HERE- WE'LL BRING IT TO YOU FIRST.FOR NOW LIVE IN EAST BAKERSFIELD- BAYAN WANG - 23ABC CONNECTINGYOUMEANWHILE -- 23ABC'S ALEX BELLIS LIVE RIGHT NOW IN SOUTHWEST