Two Deaths, 57 New COVID-19 Cases Reported in Comal County Tuesday

Comal County reported two deaths and 57 new COVID-19 cases today.

A Bulverde woman in her 60s died April 27 at a San Antonio hospital. A New Braunfels woman in her 70s died April 19 at a New Braunfels hospital. The total number of deceased is now 319.

Thirty-four of the new COVID-19 cases reported today are confirmed and 23 are probable cases. The total number of cases reported in the county is 10,551.

The majority of new cases reported are in residents ages 40 and under.

Comal County now has 357 active, confirmed-and-probable COVID-19 cases. Of those, seven are hospitalized.

Another 49 COVID-19 recoveries were reported today, for a total of 9,875.

The seven-day molecular positivity rate for Tuesday is 4.39%. The seven-day antigen positivity rate is 4.65%. The Trauma Service Area (TSA) P percentage is 3.61%.

On Tuesday, Comal County hospitals reported caring for 13 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 – 43
• North of Canyon Lake – 6
• South of Canyon Lake – 1
• South Comal County (Garden Ridge) – 2
• Bulverde/Spring Branch – 5
• Fair Oaks – 0

Age Range of New Cases

• Under 20 – 14
• 20s – 10
• 30’s/40’s – 18
• 50s/60s – 12
• 70 and older – 3

Testing Information

As of Tuesday morning, Public Health reports

• 91,968 tests conducted
• 5,619 confirmed cases
• 4,908 probable cases
• 24 suspect cases

Location Breakdown of All Cases

Of the 10,551 confirmed-and-probable COVID-19 cases, the location breakdown is:

• New Braunfels (includes Eastern and Central Comal) – 7,491
• Western Comal County (includes Bulverde and Spring Branch) – 1,539
• South of Canyon Lake – 600
• North of Canyon Lake – 497
• Southern Comal County (includes Garden Ridge and Schertz) –372
• 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 hold a mass COVID-19 clinic on May 19. Slots are still 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.