In a statement, the Kern County Public Health Services Department confirmed that a third Kern County resident has tested positive for coronavirus.
"These three individuals, as well as the individual who tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Kern County are recovering at home," said the statement. "Public Health is currently investigating this case to determine potential exposure sources and any contacts the patient may have had."
During a press conference Thursday morning to announce the first two cases in Kern County, Matt Constantine, Director of Public Health, said they cannot release any other information regarding the patients due to privacy laws. He said, however, as they investigate where these patients visited in Kern County, if they feel the information is relevant they will release those locations.
"Community transmission may be likely now that we've seen these cases," he said. "We still have research to do, but these two cases show that the disease is here and that the potential for community-wide spread exists."
According to the Kern County Public Health Services Department Coronavirus Tracker, there are still 244 pending tests.
