CITY OF DESOTO STATEMENT ON COORDINATED EFFORTS REGARDING CORONAVIRUS & INFLUENZA FOR FOCUS DAILY ON 2/26/2020
The City of DeSoto, along with our neighbors from the Best Southwest Partnership Cities of Duncanville, Cedar Hill, and Lancaster are in daily communication concerning public health threats including the coronavirus and seasonal influenza. Our EMS Chiefs and regional Emergency Management work together with Dallas County Health and Human Services, Medical Control and Medical Directors, and hold daily conference calls with the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Together we monitor for the coronavirus and more immediate health threats such as seasonal influenza. While there have been no cases of Coronavirus in North Texas, seasonal influenza has already claimed 17 lives in Dallas County. Fortunately, the universal precautions that people can take for one of these infectious diseases will work for others.
We urge all of our residents to take simple precautions which include the following:
· Frequent and thorough hand washing
· Not touching your eyes, nose or mouths
· Coughing or sneezing into a tissue and throwing it away
· Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects
· Avoiding close contact with people who are sick and staying home when you are sick.
Also, if someone were to show signs of Coronavirus there would be additional protocols from the CDC. Those protocols would govern the use of facemasks for those who are ill and those taking care of them.
Resources For Coronavirus In Texas
In addition to our daily contact and information sharing with our partners in this process, our residents can keep up to date on the fight against the novel coronavirus by regularly viewing these online resources from Dallas County, the State of Texas, and the Center for Disease Control.
Dallas County Health and Human Service Coronavirus Resources: https://www.dallascounty.org/departments/dchhs/2019-novel-coronavirus.php
State of Texas Department of State Health Services Coronavirus Resources: https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/#public
Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Coronavirus Resources: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
