Coryell County COVID-19 cases reach 220, Cove cases up to 28

By LYNETTE SOWELL

Cove Leader-Press

The number of positive confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Coryell County continue to rise, reaching 220 as of Thursday noon.

An update from Bob Harrell, Coryell County Emergency Management Coordinator, shortly after noon on Thursday revealed that there are now a total of 220 positive confirmed cases of the virus in the county, up from 217 on Thursday.

Of the three new cases announced Thursday, two are in Gatesville and one in Copperas Cove, Harrell said.

Of the 220 total cases in Coryell County, 157 are TDCJ cases. The remaining 63 cases are elsewhere in Coryell County. Of those 63 cases, 28 have recovered, with 33 being active cases.

Where cases within the Copperas Cove city limits are concerned, 18 are still considered active, and eight are listed as recovered.

Some Copperas Cove cases are still listed as active more than four weeks out from their diagnosis, such as a male and female, both in their 70s, who tested positive in early April. The two continue to be listed as active cases in isolation.

“The recovery time from COVID-19 varies from person to person based upon numerous factors. Those persons are still be tracked and once their status changes it will be updated on our notice,” Gary Young, Copperas Cove Deputy Fire Chief/Emergency Management Coordinator, stated on Tuesday.

Mobile testing was held Thursday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Copperas Cove Fire Station #2. Testing was conducted by the Texas Army National Guard, which held a mobile testing site on May 4 in both Copperas Cove and Gatesville.

Four individuals tested positive at the May 4 testing sites, but it was not specified which sites had positive results.

Statewide, there were 42,403 cases reported as of late Wednesday afternoon by TDSHS. That’s up by 1,355 cases, the highest daily increase since April 10 at 1,441 new cases on that date.

However, an estimated 23,519 have recovered at this time, roughly 55 percent, with the recovery percentage increasing as well.

1,648 are presently hospitalized, and there have been 1,158 fatalities statewide.

On Wednesday, Governor Greg Abbott called for the Texas National Guard to launch disinfection mission for nursing facilities in the state, with xix teams already being sent to to facilities across the state with more coming online. 

"The Texas National Guard plays a crucial role in our ongoing response to COVID-19, and I am grateful for their work to address the unique challenges our nursing homes face during this pandemic," said Governor Abbott. "The training these Guardsmen have received will equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to provide this crucial assistance to these facilities."

Governor Abbott has also directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and the Texas Department of State Health Services to test 100 percent of residents and staff in Texas nursing homes. 

"The State of Texas is working to rapidly expand our testing capacity—especially among vulnerable populations in Texas nursing homes," said Governor Abbott. "This important collaboration among HHSC, TDEM, and DSHS will ensure that any potential clusters of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes are quickly detected and contained."

On Tuesday, Governor Abbott issued a proclamation extending his Disaster Declaration for all Texas counties in response to COVID-19.

Originally issued on March 13 and extended on April 12, the Disaster Declaration provides the state a number of resources in the fight against the virus.

"As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, our top priority remains the health and safety of all Texans," said Governor Abbott. "By extending the disaster declaration, we are ensuring that Texas has the resources and capabilities in place to safely and strategically open the state while containing the spread of this virus. As we move forward in our response, I urge all Texans to continue following the health and safety guidelines laid out by the CDC and Texas’ team of medical experts."