New Braunfels Man Dies of COVID-19 as Comal County Confirms Another 124 New Cases

A hospitalized New Braunfels man in his 70s with a confirmed case of COVID-19 and underlying medical conditions died over the weekend, Comal County’s Office of Public Health said today.

The county also confirmed 124 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its positivity rate — the percentage of tests with a positive result — to 12.17 percent, the highest rate the county has recorded since the pandemic began. That number is up from 10.28 percent on Tuesday and 8.56 per cent one week ago.

“Some of the spike we’re reporting today comes from our office catching up from a large influx of reports over the weekend,” Cheryl Fraser, director of Public Health said. “But as the positivity rate shows, we are seeing significant spread throughout the community, especially in New Braunfels and Bulverde. “COVID-19 is putting incredible pressure on our local health care system, and we are seeing increased stress in staffing capabilities across the board. Face coverings, social distancing and hand washing are the best tools we have to fight the spread of the coronavirus, and we need to use them.”

Of the 124 new cases, 74 are confirmed and 50 are probable; 86 are New Braunfels-area residents, 23 are from the Bulverde/Spring Branch area, 10 live south of Canyon Lake, three live north of Canyon Lake, and two are from the Garden Ridge area. Ages range from under 18 to older than 80, with a plurality of cases in their 20s and other significant increases among residents in their 40s, 60s and 70s.

The county also confirmed 13 more recoveries from COVID-19, for a total of 275. With eight deaths, the county now has 495 active confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases. An additional 11 hospitalizations were confirmed, bringing that total to 36.

Nursing  Homes and Other Long-Term Care Facilities

Among nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, the Office of Public Health is aware of the following outbreaks:

27 residents and 14 staff at the Heights of Bulverde
8 residents and 5 staff at Kirkwood Manor in New Braunfels
32 residents and 10 staff at River Gardens in New Braunfels

Wednesday’s Statistics

6,393 tests conducted
599 confirmed cases
179 probable cases

Location Breakdown

Of the 778 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Comal County, the location breakdown is:
573 from the New Braunfels area, including eastern and central Comal County
125 from western Comal County, including Bulverde and Spring Branch
40 from south of Canyon Lake
22 from north of Canyon Lake, including Fischer
16 from southern Comal County, including Garden Ridge and Schertz
2 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. The hotline will be closed Friday for the Independence Day holiday.

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.