County’s COVID Case Count Jumps to 989 but Expected to Rise as Beleaguered Health Department Tries to Keep Up

Comal County’s COVID-19 case count jumped to 989 this morning, with 82 new and confirmed cases reported on Tuesday.

That number is expected to rise as Office of Public Health, which has been short-staffed since two employees tested positive for COVID-19 on June 22, continues to work through reports from the holiday weekend and Monday.

Of the new cases, 60 are confirmed and 22 are probable; 54 are New Braunfels-area residents; 17 are from the Bulverde/Spring Branch area; 10 live south of Canyon Lake; and one lives north of Canyon Lake. Thirty are younger than 30, 24 are in their 30s or 40s, 23 are in their 50s or 60s, and five are older than 70.

Comal County’s positivity rate – the percentage of tests with a positive result – is now 12.61percent, down slightly from 12.67 percent on Friday and up from 10.28 percent one week ago.

Comal County’s positivity rate – the percentage of tests with a positive result – is now 12.61 percent, down slightly from 12.67 percent on Friday and up from 10.28 percent one week ago.

The county also confirmed 37 more recoveries from COVID-19, for a total of 338. With nine deaths, the county now has 642 active confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. Of those, 32 remain hospitalized, a decline of four since Friday.

These numbers reflect a partial accounting of reports that came in over the three-day holiday weekend. Today the Office of Public Health, which remains short-staffed because of exposure to the coronavirus, will continue working through reports from this weekend and Monday.

Tuesday’s Statistics

• 7,845 tests conducted
• 750 confirmed cases
• 239 probable cases

Location Breakdown

• 714 from the New Braunfels area, including eastern and central Comal County
• 172 from western Comal County, including Bulverde and Spring Branch
• 54 from south of Canyon Lake
• 24 from north of Canyon Lake, including Fischer
• 21 from southern Comal County, including Garden Ridge and Schertz
• 4 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.