Hopkins County officials Thursday, Aug. 13, reported new cases in Hopkins County. While there were no new cases reported on Wednesday, Hopkins County Judge Robert Newsom reported 7 new cases and 14 recoveries on Thursday.
That’s 10 days so far this month in which new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Hopkins County. July was a record month for Hopkins County with 89 Hopkins County residents receiving a positive COVID-19 test result and 48 residents recovering from COVID-19. August is currently on track to outpace July in both categories. As of Aug. 10, there had already been as many recoveries in August as during the whole month of July, with 14 additional recoveries reported on Aug. 13. From Aug. 1-13, 60 new cases were reported for Hopkins County, compared to July 1-12, when 23 new cases were reported.
That brings the overall number of positive COVID-19 tests reported for Hopkins County since midMarch to 212. Of those 160 Hopkins County residents have recovered, leaving 52 active cases of COVID-19 among Hopkins County residents on Aug. 13.
Hopkins County Emergency Management officials also reported that there were 7 patients in the COVID-19 unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances-Sulphur Springs. That’s one more in the COVID-19 unit on Aug. 13 that on Aug. 11, but the same as on Aug. 2.
Texas Department of State Health Services and Health and Human Services’ COVID-19 dashboard on Aug. 13 showed 3 COVID-19 deaths for Hopkins County. The state on July 29 reported 1 COVID-19 fatality for Hopkins County. That death, according to the Texas COVID-19 Fatality County Data By County report, occurred on July 23. The second death, DSHS reported Saturday, occurred on Aug. 2. On Aug. 12, DSHS reported 3 COVID-19 deaths for Hopkins County, the two previously reported as well as another death on July 17.
Hopkins County Emergency Management Coordinator Andy Endsley maintained they have received no information that a Hopkins County resident has died as a result of COVID-19.
“If that information is not coming from me, it’s not official,” Endsley said, noting that he as emergency management coordinator is the first person contacted locally for COVID-19 notifications, then the Local Health Authority and other required notifications are made.
Endsley said he is in contact daily with the Region 4/5 DSHS contact, and neither have any “visual” on any COVID-19 deaths for Hopkins County.
“We are trying to get faster answers and clarification, but unfortunately, we do not have a lot of say when it comes to that side of it,” Endsley said.
The local authorities in the past have challenged and had state reports of COVID-19 deaths for Hopkins County removed from the state dashboard. One prior case, officials reported, was a person who had contracted COVID-19 but doctors reported that was not the cause of the individual’s death; that case was removed, along with a few others.
On July 27, the state began using data reported on death certificates in determining COVID-19 deaths. However, on July 29, a system error was discovered to have erroneously reported 225 deaths from COVID-19. Those errors were corrected by the end of the week, however, officials reported. While July 29 was when then first of the three cases currently showing on the DHSH dashboard was reported, that case has remained on the state dashboard since then. According to DSHS/HHS data, death certificates are due within 10 days, so the number of fatalities for recent days could grow as death certificates are filed.
DSHS reported no nursing home and no assisted living facility residents in Hopkins County have been diagnosed with COVID-19. One nursing home has had three employees test positive for COVID-19, but there have been no active COVID-19 cases since July 20.
On July 20, one employee case was reported to be active at the Sulphur Springs nursing facility. On July 22, there were reported to be 2 cumulative cases at the nursing facility, but neither was active. On July 27, the facility showed to have 3 cumulative employees who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, but no active cases.
