GRANT COUNTY — A Catholic priest from Mattawa in his 40s has tested positive for the coronavirus, the third case in Grant County, according to local health officials.

The patient, identified by the Diocese of Yakima as Rev. Alejandro Trejo, traveled to Israel prior to falling ill, but it is not clear whether he picked up the virus during travel or from another member of the community, health district administrator Theresa Adkinson said in a Sunday interview.

Two locations have been identified by the Grant County Health District where residents may have been exposed to the priest, who has been hospitalized.

Exposure could have occurred either at Feb. 26 at the 7 a.m. or 12 p.m. Masses at Our Lady of the Desert Parish in Mattawa, or at the 6 p.m. Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Royal City. Residents may have also been exposed on March 1, either the 12 p.m. or the 5 p.m. Mass at Our Lady of the Desert Parish.

The announcement comes only two days after a second Grant County resident tested positive for the coronavirus, according to county health officials.

That patient, a Quincy resident in his 60s, has tested positive and is in isolation, though he is not experiencing severe illness. He has been linked to the first patient in Grant County, a male Quincy resident in his 80s who died last week.

“Staff are working overtime to identify and call all those who had close contact with these two individuals to ensure proper quarantines are in place and prevent others from being infected,” the health district wrote in a press release. “However, we expect additional cases will be confirmed in our communities.”

Federal, state and local officials are encouraging residents to take all possible precautions to prevent further spread of the potentially deadly disease.

“Anyone staying home from work when sick or telecommuting, canceling events or modifying business operations to minimize the spread of this virus is doing their civic duty and should be commended by the rest of us. The only way we will stop this pandemic is by separating ourselves from each other and by following simple hygiene and cough etiquette techniques” Dr. Alexander Brzezny, Grant County Health Officer, stated in the press release.

Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.