This story was updated on March 20 at 3:20 p.m.
Riley County has its first presumptive positive case of COVID-19.
On March 20, a news release was sent out reporting the case. There is now a formal restriction against public gatherings that exceed 10 people in the county.
Riley County Health Department director Julie Gibbs said the infected person is a male in his 50s currently living in Riley County. He recently traveled abroad and is now in home isolation.
“The health care providers did everything correctly in containing and stopping the spread of the virus,” Gibbs said.
Currently, health care providers are working to identify people who might have been exposed to the virus and monitor them for symptoms, Gibbs said.
“The best thing people can do to help is to remain informed and take routine health precautions,” Gibbs said. “There is currently no evidence of widespread community transmission of COVID-19 in Riley County or the regional area, so the risk to the residents remains low.”
As of 10 a.m., the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is reporting more than 44 cases in the state with more than half of them in Johnson County.
