Tarrant County has now seen its first presumptive positive case of Coronavirus. There are also a small number of cases in nearby counties. While having even a few confirmed cases in our community is cause for concern, the risk of exposure to the general public is still extremely low in North Texas. The best way to prevent infection is to take the following precautions:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
At this time, there are no changes in our regular meal-delivery schedule. We continue to be in regular contact with Tarrant County Public Health department to assess the situation. As with any airborne illness, we are asking volunteers and staff members to wash or disinfect their hands after each interaction with a client and to stay home if they have flu-like symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and fever. As a reminder, seasonal allergy symptoms are not contagious.
Remember that there is a lot of misinformation on social media. We encourage everyone to stay informed from a reliable source. Tarrant County Public Health has established a Coronavirus telephone hotline and webpage to keep the public informed:
- Telephone Hotline: 817-248-6299
- Webpage: tarrantcounty.com
Thank you for all that you do to help us care for our homebound, elderly and disabled neighbors.
Meals On Wheels of Tarrant County