Five Deaths, 90 More Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Comal County Today

Comal County confirmed five new deaths and 90 new cases of COVID-19 today.

Four of those who died lived in long-term residential care facilities. The fifth, a man in his 60s from New Braunfels who had underlying medical conditions, died Sunday at a New Braunfels hospital.

Deaths confirmed at Kirkwood Manor in New Braunfels and Colonial Manor in New Braunfels include:

• A man in his 80s and a woman in her 90s, both with underlying medical conditions, who died Thursday at Kirkwood Manor in New Braunfels.
• A woman in her 90s and a man in his 60s, both with underlying medical conditions, who died Thursday at Colonial Manor in New Braunfels.

They mark the eighth and ninth COVID-19 deaths from Kirkwood Manor and the first two from Colonial Manor since the outbreak began in those facilities.

Ninety New Cases Reported

Comal’s positivity rate is now 70 percent, up from 16.28 percent on Thursday and 14.75 percent one week ago.

Of the new cases, 80 are confirmed and 10 are probable; 77 are New Braunfels-area residents, seven are from the Bulverde/Spring Branch area, three live south of Canyon Lake, two are from the Garden Ridge area and one lives north of Canyon Lake. Thirty-one are younger than 30, 29 are in their 30s or 40s, 21 are in their 50s or 60s, and nine are older than 70.

The county also confirmed 13 more recoveries from COVID-19, for a total of 546. With 35 deaths, the county now has 977 active confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. Of those, 59 are hospitalized, a decrease of three.

Comal’s positivity rate is now 70 percent, up from 16.28 percent on Thursday and 14.75 percent one week ago.

Long-Term Residential Care Facility Totals To-Date

The following long-term residential care facilities have reported case information to the Comal County Office of Public Health, including the date of their last report:

• River Gardens, New Braunfels (Friday): 80 cases (58 residents, 22 staff), 1 death, 3 hospitalized; currently retesting all residents.
• Colonial Manor, New Braunfels (Wednesday): 63 cases (35 residents, 28 staff), 2 deaths, 1 hospitalized
• The Heights of Bulverde (Friday): 57 cases (33 residents, 24 staff), 7 deaths
• Kirkwood Manor, New Braunfels (Friday): 59 cases (39 residents, 20 staff), 9 deaths, 2 hospitalized
• Legend Oaks, New Braunfels (Wednesday): 1 active case (resident), 1 death; all other staff and residents have tested negative.
• Sundance Inn, New Braunfels (Tuesday): 3 cases (staff)
• Memory Care of New Braunfels (Monday): 2 cases (staff)
• The Village of Garden Ridge (Wednesday): 2 cases (staff)
• Sodalis Senior Living, New Braunfels (Wednesday): 2 cases (staff)
• Elan Westpointe, New Braunfels (Tuesday): 1 case (staff)

To help support local nursing homes battling coronavirus outbreaks, the emergency management offices of Comal County and the City of New Braunfels have established 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.

Friday’s Numbers

As of Friday morning, Public Health has received reports of the following test information:

• 9,167 tests conducted
• 1,197 confirmed cases
• 361 probable cases

Location Breakdown

Of the 1,558 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Comal County, the location breakdown is:

• 1,158 from the New Braunfels area, including eastern and central Comal County
• 240 from western Comal County, including Bulverde and Spring Branch
• 80 from south of Canyon Lake
• 38 from north of Canyon Lake, including Fischer
• 37 from southern Comal County, including Garden Ridge and Schertz
• 5 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.