Update: 5:32 p.m. April 9
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon reports a total of 13 confirmed positive cases in the county in a 5:08 p.m. Facebook post.
"We got another confirmed case today, but personally I don't think this one should even count as a Waller County case to be honest," he wrote in the post. "It is a Waller County resident, female, in her 50s from Hempstead, but she was out-of-town on work-related activities in the Dallas area, contracted the virus there and is now isolating in that area. Other than the fact it's a Waller County resident, there is no other virus-related contact with the county."
Three of the county's cases are in the Katy-area, but two have recovered.
Update: 4:52 p.m. April 9
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon reported the county's 12th confirmed positive case at 5:14 p.m. April 8.
The newest case is a man in his 70s who lives in the Katy area within the 77493 ZIP code. This is the third Katy-area case in Waller County.
The other two Katy-area cases have recovered, according to the county's website.
Update 8:17 a.m. April 2
Waller County now has a total of six confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, Judge Trey Duhon announced in a 6:21 p.m. April 1 Facebook post. According to the county's website, two of these cases are in the Katy area.
Update 5:01 p.m. April 1
Waller County has a total of five confirmed positive cases as of 4:39 p.m., Judge Trey Duhon reported via Facebook. The most recent case is a male in his 30s living in ZIP code 77493, which is in the Katy area.
Duhon said that three additional cases are pending confirmation from the Department of State Health Services.
Additionally, Duhon extended his emergency order through April 30. The order aligns with Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order issued March 31.
Update 1:35 p.m. April 1
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon has reported the county's fourth confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in an 11:37 a.m. Facebook post.
The individual is a man in his 60s who lives near Hockley in the northeast part of the county.
Update 7:54 a.m. March 30
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon reported via Facebook on March 28 that the county now has three confirmed positive cases of coronavirus.
"If you recall the [Prairie View A&M University] staff member that tested positive yesterday—his wife was also positive," Duhon wrote. "Both individuals are in [their] 20s. They live in the north end of the county and both are following [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines and in quarantine. But other than the 2 cases reported yesterday and the spouse, Waller County has not had any additional confirmed cases."
Update: 4:16 p.m. March 27
Prairie View A&M confirmed that a staff member has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The employee is part of the Prairie View A&M University Police Department.
“Based on the information that we have gathered, this employee did not have contact with other individuals on campus,” a March 27 letter from President Ruth Simmons states. “Therefore, students, faculty and staff are not at an increased risk. Still, we encourage everyone to take the proper precautionary measures to contain the spread of the virus on campus."
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon stressed in a 2:47 p.m. Facebook post that the Department of State Health Services has not received a report of the case yet, so though the test is has been reported as positive, the case is not yet confirmed.
"[DSHS is] contacting PVAMU officials to determine where the positive test may have come from and as soon as they have confirmation or determine anything otherwise, they will let me know," Duhon said.
He also reported that Daikin Industries, which has a facility in Harris County, has reported a positive COVID-19 test. The facility was shut down. Employees were sent home, and the facility is being sterilized.
In a 3:35 p.m. Facebook post, Duhon said he has submitted to the state DSHS a request for a testing site in Waller County.
Update 2:36 p.m. March 27
Waller County Judge Trey Duhon has announced the county’s first case of the coronavirus March 27.
“Although we have not received this information from [Department of State Health Services], the [Waller County Office of Emergency Management] has been advised by [Prairie View A&M] that one of their staff members, who is also a Waller County resident, has tested positive for COVID-19,” Duhon said in a 11:26 a.m. Facebook post.
Community Impact Newspaper has reached out to Prairie View A&M for confirmation and additional information. The university did not immediately respond.
Duhon said information about where this individual resides within Waller County has not been determined at the time of the post. He plans to provide additional information when it becomes available.
He also urged residents not to panic.
“We knew this day was coming,” he said in the post. “This comes as no surprise. There is no reason to be alarmed, as we all knew there were cases of COVID-19 here in Waller County. If there are any of you that had a false sense of security that the coronavirus was not in Waller County, this is the wake-up call.”
On March 24, Amazon reported a coronavirus positive case at a facility near Katy. Duhon provided an update to clarify that the facility was not the Amazon Distribution Center at 31555 US 90, Brookshire. The employee was at a smaller Amazon facility near Katy.
Duhon also confirmed the Amazon employee was not a Waller County resident.
