El Centro Regional Medical Center ( ECRMC ) announced Tuesday evening that the test results for coronavirus on a patient admitted to the hospital Sunday have come back inconclusive.

The patient , a woman in her 70's , presented at the Emergency Department of the El Centro hospital Sunday and met the criteria for COVID-19 testing. The woman remains hospitalized in isolation at the facility. Dr. Adolphe Edward , the hospital CEO , said that two additional cases have met the criteria for COVID-19 testing. Results on all three patients are expected in 24 - 48 hours. 

Dr. Mohammed Al-Jasim , the hospitals infectious disease specialist , stressed that some simple steps will help protect from the virus. The doctor said that the COVID-19 virus doesn't live long on surfaces and is mostly contagious by contact with infected people. Washing hands with soap and water works to help stop the spread of the disease. Avoiding people that are sick is also important. The incubation period for the virus is typically 2 to 10 days after exposure. Both Dr. Al-Jasim and Dr. Christian Tomaschewski of the Emergency Department stressed that there is no need to panic and to rally on communications and information from reliable sources such as the Imperial County Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control.

So far , there are no in-community transmissions of the virus in the Valley.

Imperial Valley health care facilities and the Imperial County Public Health Department are communicating to private physicians as well as health agencies and officials in Mexicali.