(LaPorte, IN) - There’s now a confirmed case of coronavirus from LaPorte County.  LaPorte County Commission president, Sheila Matias, said the patient is a 55-year old man from the city of LaPorte.  She indicated the man was in critical condition at Porter Regional Hospital.

 

Matias was alerted to the confirmed case Friday night after the man developing symptoms was tested.  She indicated that it appears the individuals which he’s had recent contact with are strictly family members at home and at a residence in Joliet, Illinois where he recently traveled.

 

“Every contact that he's had has been examined and they are in quarantine.  We’re doing everything we can to make sure there’s no further transmission,” Matias said.

 

The patient does home repair for a living, from his residence.  “He doesn’t appear to have had a lot of contacts from all of the information we’ve been able to gather,” Matias said.

 

Residents are asked to remain calm and follow advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) like washing hands, covering mouths while sneezing or coughing, and staying away from large gatherings to try and limit the spread of the virus.  “This is a time when the community really has to pull together.  We need to be sure we’re looking out for each other.  This is not a time for panic.  It’s a time for taking care of each other and just hunkering down, being calm, watching movies, playing board games, and reading to your children.  Calmness is the order of the day,”  Matias advised.

 

Stay tuned to HometownNewsNow.com, 96.7 The Eagle, and the new Rock 106.5 for any additional developments in this story.