KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Johnson County, Kansas woman in her 50s has tested presumptive positive for COVID-19, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment said Saturday.
According to the release, the woman is associated with Johnson County Community College.
Mary Beverly, interim director of the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, said they are looking into where this woman could have been exposed to the virus.
"Right now, our disease investigators are working this case and working any contacts associated with this case," Beverly said.
Since the woman is associated with JCCC, Beverly said it's concerning for them because the woman didn't travel.
"Certainly, that is always a worry, but with the contact investigation and calling individuals that are with close contact with this individual, we will know more as we do that work, it's just too preliminary to know that right now," Beverly said.
41 Action News also reached out to JCCC on if this woman worked there. While they could not provide that information, the college is helping disease detectives trace the woman's steps.
"As far as where this individual was and who they been in contact with, that's the hard work now ahead of the KDHE to understand where and who she had been in contact with and what times and what days on campus," said JCCC Public Information Officer Chris Gray.
This campus has been closed since Wednesday with only essential staff coming in, but now that's likely to change.
"Really [we] can't be diligent enough on this," Gray said. "It's an unknown and a rapidly moving situation."
Classes are supposed to start up on March 30, but only digitally.
A spokesperson for JCDHE said the case is the first in the county of local transmission.
The positive test marks the fifth case of COVID-19 in Johnson County, and the seventh in Kansas.
JCDHE is working to contact people exposed to the new case.
A spokesperson for JCCC told 41 Action News Saturday the college was notified about the case from KDHE, and that it could take one or two more days to learn more about the exposure.
