Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials in the Oct. 28 COVID-19 update reported that 37 additional Hopkins County residents received positive lab-confirmed COVID-19 results in the last 24 hours and 2 additional COVID-19 fatalities were assigned to Hopkins County by Texas Department of State Health Services on Oct. 28 as well.
October has officially surpassed September as the worst month this year in Hopkins County for COVID-19 based on new and active case counts and fatalities.
HC/SSEMS Reports
The 37 new positive cases reported by HC/SSEM in the Oct. 28 COVID-19 update increases the active case count among Hopkins County residents from 199 on Tuesday to 236 active cases on Wednesday. That’s more Hopkins County residents who currently have COVID-19 than the combined total number of new cases reported in both August (91) and September (118). The last time the active case count was below 100 was Oct. 10, when only 89 Hopkins County were reported to still have COVID-19.
So far this month, 302 Hopkins County residents have tested positive for COVID-19, including 63 county residents who have received positive results this week. That’s more people testing positive for COVID-19 on molecular tests in October than the combined total of all cases reported in the 3 prior months (298).
The 37 new COVID-19 cases reported Oct. 28 increases the cumulative case count to 663 Hopkins County residents who have tested positive for novel coronavirus 2019 since March, according to the HC/SSEM Oct. 28 COVID-19 update. That means almost half of all Hopkins County residents who have received positive molecular COVID-19 results have tested positive in October.
One the other hand, there have been on new recoveries in the last 2 days. A total of 144 Hopkins County residents have recovered from the virus this month, including 61 reported on Oct. 19. Cumulatively, 427 Hopkins County residents have recovered from COVID-19 since March, according to the Oct. 28 COVID-19 update.
As is often the case, as the active case counts rise so too does the number of patients in the COVID Unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs. Thirteen patients were in the COVID Unit on Wednesday, 2 more than HC/SSEM reported on Tuesday, Oct. 27. That’s the highest patient count so far this month, but still 3 fewer than on Sept. 23, a day in which the overall new case count was 2, the active case count was 85 and the cumulative case count was 248.
Free COVID-19 Testing
Staff at the free testing site at 128-A Jefferson St. performed 63 additional tests on Tuesday. That’s 48 less than on Monday and half the number of tests performed at the site on Saturday. Since Saturday, 300 free tests have been performed. A total of 1,908 tests have been performed at the free testing location Oct. 1-28. Since the Jefferson Street testing location opened on Sept. 25, a total of 2,192 tests have been performed.
With the new and active case number continuing to rise, officials first extended the free testing period through Oct. 31 and Tuesday announced the site is now expected to remain open through the end of November.
Free testing is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays to anyone, regardless of age, county of residence or other factors. Children may be tested provided they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Symptoms and high-risk exposure are not required for testing. Register online for the free oral, swap molecular testing at www.GoGetTested.com. Scroll down to find the Sulphur Springs location, click the green Book Now option and follow the prompts.
DSHS Reports
Texas Department of State Health Services on the Oct. 28 Case Counts dashboard reported Hopkins County now has 29 confirmed COVID-19 fatalities. That means 2 of the 105 newly reported fatalities in Texas Oct. 28 were from Hopkins County.
The 2 newest deaths are reported to have occurred on Oct. 22 and Oct. 24. That makes 11 Hopkins County residents who have died this month from COVID-19: 3 on Oct. 5; 2 on Oct. 9; and 1 each on Oct. 8, Oct. 10, Oct. 13, Oct. 18, Oct. 22 and Oct. 24, according to the DSHS County Trends and Fatalities over Time by County reports.
HHS Reports
The COVID-19 cases at Carriage House Manor continued to decline on Oct. 14, the most recent data available from Texas Health and Human Services on nursing facilities. Three additional residents had recovered from COVID-19, reducing the active case count from 9 to 6 and increasing the number of resident recoveries to 32 at Carriage House Manor. Two employees of Carriage House were also reported to still have COVID-19, the same as first reported on Oct. 12. Cumulatively from March through Oct. 14, CHM had reported 40 employees who tested positive for COVID-19 and 57 residents, including 19 residents who died as a result of COVID-19, according to the HHS Oct. 28 nursing facility report.
Sulphur Springs Health and Rehabilitation continued to have three active employee cases, 5 cumulative employee cases, 16 cumulative resident cases, including 2 resident deaths on Oct. 14, according to the Oct. 28 HHS report.
Sunny Springs Nursing & Rehab has reported no change in patient cases from Oct. 12 to Oct. 14; the facility had 16 active and 20 cumulative employee COVID-19 cases, and three residents who have recovered from the virus, according to the Oct. 28 HHS report.
There were no active COVID-19 cases reported at either Wesley House or Hopkins Place on Oct. 14. Wesley House has had 5 employee and 7 resident cases since March. There had been no COVID-19 cases reported at Hopkins Place as of Oct. 14, according to the Oct. 28 HHS assisted living report.
There were no active COVID-19 cases reported in either employees or students at the 6 licensed child care centers, school-age programs and before and after school programs in Hopkins County on Oct. 27. Sulphur Springs Christian Preschool, His Kids Learning Center, Annekes Preschool, Water Oak Preschool and Little Acorn School have each had 1 employee test positive for COVID-19 since March. Little Texans Learning Center has reported 2 employee cases since March. Sulphur Springs Christian Preschool also reported 1 students case since March, according to the Oct. 28 HHS child care center report.
