UT-Austin president’s wife tests positive for coronavirus

The president of the University of Texas at Austin announced Friday that his wife has tested positive for COVID-19.

Gregory Fenves’s wife, Carmel Martinez Fenves, is the first member of the university’s community to contract the virus.

In a statement, Fenves said a second member of his family — who works at the university — is also presumed to have the virus.

The president has been tested and all three individuals are in self-isolation.

READ MORE: 2 people diagnosed with coronavirus in Travis County

“If you have had close contact with me or my family members or another person with COVID-19 and you are not exhibiting symptoms, we strongly recommend that you self-isolate starting today,” Fenves wrote.

Fenves has compiled a list of individuals who were recently in close contact with them. UT Health Austin nurses will contact the people on that list who are affiliated with the university to screen them for the virus.

School officials canceled classes and closed the university Friday.

According to Fenves, he traveled to New York City with his wife last week for several events with alumni and students before returning home Saturday. Carmel started exhibiting mild flu-like symptoms after the trip and received the positive test results Friday.

On Friday morning, Austin Public Health confirmed two presumptive positive cases in Travis County: a man in his 60s and a woman in her 30s.

Mark Dunphy is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read him on our breaking news site, MySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | [email protected] | @m_b_dunphy