Comal County Reports 26 New Cases of COVID-19, Positivity Rate Down to 16.60 Percent

Comal County reported 26 new cases of COVID-19 today but its positivity rate is down to 15.24-percent, a significant drop from the 16.60-percent reported on Wednesday.

There are now 424 confirmed and probable cases in the county, the lowest number of active cases since June 30, Comal County Public Health Director Cheryl Fraser said in Commissioners Court this morning. Sixty-eight residents are hospitalized, an increase of six. Sixty residents have died from the virus.

Of the new cases, 12 are confirmed and 14 are probable; 21 are New Braunfels-area residents, three are from the Bulverde/Spring Branch area, one lives south of Canyon Lake, and one lives in the Garden Ridge area. Six are younger than 30, five are in their 30s or 40s, 10 are in their 50s or 60s, and five are older than 70.

Also today, Comal County hospitals reported caring for 30 COVID-19 patients; 17 of those  are in intensive care beds, and nine are on ventilators. Not all of these patients are necessarily county residents; likewise, not all county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 are in Comal County hospitals.

Thursday’s Statistics

• 15,173 tests conducted
• 1,775 confirmed cases
• 538 probable cases

Location Breakdown

Of the 2,313 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Comal County, the location breakdown is:

• 1,761 from the New Braunfels area, including eastern and central Comal County
• 328 from western Comal County, including Bulverde and Spring Branch
• 115 from south of Canyon Lake
• 55 from north of Canyon Lake, including Fischer
• 46 from southern Comal County, including Garden Ridge and Schertz
• 8 from Fair Oaks Ranch

Probable Case Definition

“Probable cases” is a category established by the Texas Department of State Health Services to describe those who do not have a positive PCR test for COVID-19, but meet two of the following three criteria:

• A positive quick-result antigen test
• Experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
• Close contact with a confirmed positive COVID-19 case

A probable case is treated identically to a confirmed case and counts toward the county’s positivity rate and total case tally.