Comal County’s Active Case Count Rises to 280, 23 New COVID-19 Cases Reported Friday

Comal County reported 23 new cases of COVID-19 today, bringing its active case count to 280.

Of those active, confirmed-and-probable cases, 10 are hospitalized.

Eleven of the new 23 new cases are confirmed and 12 are probable.

Another 10 COVID-19 recoveries were reported, bringing the total to 9,697.

The number of deceased remains at 317.

The seven-day molecular positivity rate for Friday is 3.17%. The seven-day antigen positivity rate is 3.52% percent. The Trauma Service Area (TSA) P percentage is 4.24%.

On Friday, Comal County hospitals reported caring for 16 COVID-19 patients. Of those, three are in intensive care and one is on a ventilator. Not all of these patients are necessarily county residents. Not all county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 are in county hospitals.

Location Breakdown of New Cases

• New Braunfels – 17
• North of Canyon Lake – 1
• South of Canyon Lake – 1
• South Comal County (Garden Ridge) – 0
• Bulverde/Spring Branch – 4
• Fair Oaks – 0

Age Range of New Cases

• Under 20 – 7
• 20s – 5
• 30’s/40’s – 6
• 50s/60s – 3
• 70 and older – 2

Testing Information

As of Friday morning, Public Health reports

• 86,236 tests conducted
• 5,456 confirmed cases
• 4,814 probable cases
• 24 suspect cases

Location Breakdown of All Cases

Of the 10,294 confirmed-and-probable COVID-19 cases, the location breakdown is:

• New Braunfels (includes Eastern and Central Comal) – 7,297
• Western Comal County (includes Bulverde and Spring Branch) – 1,514
• South of Canyon Lake – 594
• North of Canyon Lake – 481
• Southern Comal County (includes Garden Ridge and Schertz) –356
• Fair Oaks Ranch – 52

Vaccines

The Comal County COVID-19 vaccine standby list is closed. County residents can now self-schedule COVID-19 vaccines. The county will administer 2,000 vaccines over the next two weeks. Many slots are available.

The Health Department administers the Moderna vaccine, which is used for those 18 years-of-age and older. Vaccines will be distributed to the public as they are received by Comal County and according to all state distribution guidelines.

Residents are encouraged to visit www.mycomalcounty.com for information and updates on any upcoming clinics. Anyone interested in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine can visit  www.i-info.com/registry/registry.aspx?evt=D3757753D854466EA753D00A5214CA87 to schedule an appointment. Just click “next” to answer a few questions and choose your appointment day and time.

To find other vaccine providers, visit dshs.texas.gov/covidvaccine.

Those who do not have a computer or need assistance can call 830-620-5575.

Probable Cases

“Probable case” 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 three criteria:

• Meets clinical criteria and epidemiologic linkage with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for SARS-CoV-2.
• Meets presumptive laboratory evidence, which is the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by antigen test in a respiratory specimen.
• Meets vital records criteria with no confirmatory laboratory evidence for SARS-CoV-2.

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

Suspected Cases

A ‘suspect’ case meets supportive laboratory evidence with no prior history of being a confirmed or probable case. It is also counted toward the total case tally. Supportive laboratory evidence means:

• Detection of a specific antibody in serum, plasma, or whole blood.
• Detection of specific antigen by immunocytochemistry in an autopsy specimen.