Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials announced on Sunday the release of an individual from isolation in a facility in San Antonio, Texas, after the person twice tested negative for novel Coronavirus. The person subsequently tested “weakly positive” and was taken back into quarantine. Officials said the patient had contact with others during the short release.
Officials in San Antonio expressed concern after CDC officials announced the release of a person they isolated after returning to the U.S. from Wuhan, China, on a State Department chartered flight. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg tweeted, “The fact that the CDC allowed the public to be exposed to a patient with a positive COVID-19 reading is unacceptable.”
Today we learned that the CDC mistakenly released a patient from the Texas Center for Infectious Disease who later returned a positive COVID-19 reading.
The fact that the CDC allowed the public to be exposed to a patient with a positive COVID-19 reading is unacceptable.
Full: pic.twitter.com/hE2xTMETw7
— Mayor Ron Nirenberg (@Ron_Nirenberg) March 2, 2020
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said in a written statement, “We are in dire need of additional resources and protocols immediately to include longer quarantine periods and the opening of appropriate facilities such as the Alabama facility or the San Antonio Military Medical Center. Please do not delay and risk local transmission.”
CDC officials stressed the person was only released from quarantine after meeting the current criteria of being asymptomatic and completing two negative test results at least 24 hours apart. Despite claims by Mayor Nirenberg, the patient did not have “a positive COVID-19 reading” when released from the quarantine facility. After the patient had been released, the CDC received the “results of a subsequent sample.” That sample was determined to be “weakly positive,” officials stated.
“Out of an abundance of caution, CDC decided to bring the individual back into isolation at a local medical facility,” officials said in a written statement.
CDC officials confirmed the person did have contact with others while out of isolation. CDC officials and Bexar County health officials are working on tracking down those contacted by the person.
“It is important to remember that this is a new virus and we are learning more about it every day,” CDC officials stated. “The cycle of infection with COVID-19 is not yet well understood, but the amount of a virus is typically highest when the person is the sickest. As the illness resolves, the amount of the virus falls.”
Mayor Nirenberg added, “Our San Antonio Metro Health District and other local officials continue to address the situation with the utmost professionalism and care. … The federal quarantine period for the Diamond Princess cruise ship evacuees ends (March 2). I have asked the CDC to do everything in their power to ensure that those who are released pose no risk to the community.”
Judge Wolff concluded, “Please do not delay any longer and risk local transmission.”
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.