County Sets Up Resource Center for Nursing Homes as Three New Deaths Reported
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Comal County confirmed three new deaths related to COVID-19 today, two of them residents of area nursing homes, and said it is creating a resource center to help nursing homes deal with the growing crisis.
At Commissioners Court this morning the Office of Public Health also reported 50 new cases of the disease.
“We’re doing everything in our power to help nursing homes and other similar facilities have access to the resources they need to adequately protect the health and safety of their residents,” said Jeff Kelley, Comal County’s emergency management coordinator. “These are the most vulnerable members of our community, and we will do everything we can to help them.”
The deaths were:
- A woman in her 80s from the Heights of Bulverde died Wednesday, the sixth death among residents there;
- A woman in her 70s from Legend Oaks nursing home in New Braunfels died in a New Braunfels hospital Wednesday; and
- A man in his 70s from New Braunfels with underlying medical conditions died in a New Braunfels hospital Tuesday.
The Legend Oaks death is the only known case of COVID-19 at the facility.
The emergency management offices of Comal County and the City of New Braunfels have set up a resource center at New Braunfels City Hall.
Long-term residential health care facilities who need personal protective equipment and other resources can call 830-221-4618 to request them.
With 50 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases also reported today, the county’s total number of cases rose to 1,142.
Of the new cases, 41 are confirmed and nine are probable; 33 are New Braunfels-area residents, 16 are from the Bulverde/Spring Branch area, and one lives south of Canyon Lake. Thirteen are younger than 30, including one child under 1; 15 are in their 30s or 40s, eight are in their 50s or 60s, and 14 are older than 70, including 11 older than 80.
Comal County’s positivity rate – the percentage of tests with a positive result – is now 14.06%, up from 13.64% on Wednesday and 12.63% one week ago.
The county also confirmed 16 more recoveries from COVID-19, for a total of 371. With 18 deaths, the county now has 753 active confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. Of those, 32 remain hospitalized.
Wednesday’s Statistics
As of Wednesday morning, Public Health has received reports of the following test information:
- 8,125 tests conducted
- 866 confirmed cases
- 276 probable cases
Location Breakdown
Of the 1,142 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Comal County, the location breakdown is:
- 823 from the New Braunfels area, including eastern and central Comal County
- 204 from western Comal County, including Bulverde and Spring Branch
- 56 from south of Canyon Lake
- 28 from southern Comal County, including Garden Ridge and Schertz
- 26 from north of Canyon Lake, including Fischer
- 5 from Fair Oaks Ranch
Residents wishing to be tested for COVID-19 can call the county’s dedicated hotline, 830-221-1120, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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.
