HOME ELECTED OFFICES DEPARTMENTS eSERVICES CONTACT US COVID-19 Coronavirus Coronavirus COVID-19 Information | Hotline (956) 795-4954 Home COVID-19 Video from Commissioners Court Local COVID-19 Press Releases Governor Abbott's Executive Order Emergency Order Webb County Departments Operation of Hours Steps to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus Symptoms What To Do If Sick Global Map President Trump's Declaration of a National Emergency Governor Greg Abbott's COVID-19 Disaster Proclamation Suspension of Jury Duty Emergency Order by Board of Judges Visitations at Webb County Jail Temporarily Suspended Beware of Price Gouging Webb County and City of Laredo Declaration of Local Disaster Links Background CDC is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in China and which has now been detected in more than 100 locations internationally, including in the United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”). On January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concernexternal icon” (PHEIC). On January 31, 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency (PHE) for the United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19. On March 11, 2020 WHO publiclyexternal icon characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic. Source and Spread of the Virus Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people and many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats, and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people such as with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and now with this new virus (named SARS-CoV-2). The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a betacoronavirus, like MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. All three of these viruses have their origins in bats. The sequences from U.S. patients are similar to the one that China initially posted, suggesting a likely single, recent emergence of this virus from an animal reservoir. Early on, many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread. Person-to-person spread was subsequently reported outside Hubei and in countries outside China, including in the United States. Some international destinations now have apparent community spread with the virus that causes COVID-19, as do some parts of the United States. Community spread means some people have been infected and it is not known how or where they became exposed. Learn what is known about the spread of this newly emerged coronaviruses. Click here for more CDC Information Home Contact Us Department Phone Directory Downloadable Forms Notice to publish Certificates of Obligation 2019 External Links ADA Notice and Complaints Policy Commissioners Court Meeting Dates and Deadlines