Although 17 additional Hopkins County residents had received positive COVID-19 results, nearly twice as many recoveries as new cases were reported by Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management in the Oct. 30 COVID-19 update. Texas Department of State Health Services Friday also reported another COVID-19 fatality for Hopkins County, and Texas Health and Human Services reported a total of 23 nursing home resident deaths on Oct. 16 according to Texas Health and Human Services.
HC/SSEM Oct. 30 Update
The 17 new COVID-19 cases reported for Hopkins County increased the new case count for the week to 84. That makes 323 Hopkins County residents who received lab-confirmed positive molecular COVID-19 test results this month and 684 county residents who have tested positive for novel coronavirus 2019 since March.
HC/SSEM in the Oct. 30 COVID-19 update reported 32 Hopkins County residents were confirmed to have recovered from the virus. This follows a day in which 81 recoveries were reported. That makes 124 recoveries so far this week, nearly half the monthly total of 257 recoveries reported this week. That increases the cumulative number of recoveries since March to 540.
Those recoveries helped lower the active case count for the second day in a row. The active case count dropped from 236 on Wednesday to 159 on Oct. 29 to 144 active cases on Oct. 30.
HC/SSEM also reported 3 more patients in the COVID unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital Sulphur Springs on Friday than on Thursday, increasing the patient count to 14 — the most patients reported to be in the unit this month but not the most reported by local officials in the last 3 months. The COVID-19 unit had 17 patients on Sept. 28.
Testing In Hopkins County
According to the Oct. 30 COVID-19 update, 53 additional tests were performed at the COVID-19 testing site at 128-A Jefferson St. on Thursday, Oct. 29.
Each day this week fewer tests have been performed at 128-A Jefferson St.: 126 on Saturday, 111 on Monday, 63 on Tuesday, 58 on Wednesday and 53 on Thursday.
That makes 3 consecutive weeks in which fewer tests have been performed at the site each week. A total of 528 tests were performed on Jefferson Street the week of Oct. 3-9, that number dropped to 547 tests Oct. 10-16, 543 tests Oct. 17-23 and 411 tests Oct. 24-30.
Cumulatively, 2,303 COVID-19 tests have been conducted since the Jefferson Street drive-through testing site opened on Sept. 25, HC/SSEM officials reported in the Oct. 30 COVID-19 update.
The Jefferson Street COVID testing site will remain open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Monday-Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Saturday during November.
To book a test, go online to GoGetTested.com; either scroll down to the alphabetic list. Click Book Now on the preferred testing location (in the Red Cross/old Fidelity Express — Texas Emergency Management building at 128-A Jefferson St. in Sulphur Springs), click Book Now and follow the prompts. Test results are returned in less than 48 hours on average to the preferred device provided via text or email message.
There is no out-of-pocket costs for tests; if individuals don’t have insurance, the test is free. GoGetTested screens for live virus using FDA approved oral swab using a lab-based PCR process. Everyone is eligible for test, however, the person scheduling the test should be 18 or older in order to sign giving a COVID-19 public health authorization and consent. A phone is needed to register online.
HC/SSEM officials also reported 64 Hopkins County residents received positive results on COVID-19 antigen tests conducted at testing facilities within Hopkins County from Oct. 24 to Oct. 30. That’s the fewest number of positive antigen tests reported in the last 4 weeks. Last Friday, 105 positive results were reported t. There were 82 antigen positives from Oct. 10-16, and 101 Oct. 3-9.
HC/SSEM reminded in the Oct. 30 COVID-19 update that positive antigen test results reflect Hopkins County residents only, are reported weekly, are not count towards state numbers, and will not be shown as “recovered.”
DSHS Fatality Report
Texas Department of State Health Services on Oct. 30 reported 35 COVID-19 fatalities for Hopkins County, one more death than reported on Oct. 29. Friday was the third consecutive day in which DSHS reported additional COVID-19 fatalities for Hopkins County.
The latest fatality was reported in the Oct. 30 DSHS County Trends report to have occurred on Friday, Oct. 16. That makes 9 Hopkins County COVID-19 fatalities in the last 7 days, 17 this month and 35 since July: 3 on Oct. 5; 2 each on Oct. 9 and 18; and one death each on Oct. 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 22, 24 and 25.
THHS Reports
Texas Health and Human Services on Oct. 30 reported 2 additional COVID-19 deaths among residents at Carriage House Manor, for a total of 21 residents who had COVID-19 who died as of Oct. 16. That leaves 6 active resident and 3 active employee COVID-19 cases reported for Carriage House Manor.
Carriage House Manor has had a total of 41 employees and 59 residents who had tested positive for COVID-19, including 32 residents who had recovered from the virus on Oct. 16, the most recent data available in the Oct. 30 HHS nursing facility report.
HHS also reported 5 additional employees at Sunny Springs Nursing & Rehab had tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 16, increasing the active employee case count to 26 and the cumulative count to 31 employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 since March.
One additional resident of Sunny Springs Nursing & Rehab had tested positive for COVID-19 and another had recovered from the virus. That’s 21 active cases and four recoveries among Sunny Springs Nursing & Rehab residents on Oct. 16, according to the Oct. 30 HHS nursing facility report.
Crock Creek Health and Rehabilitation LLC continued to have one active employee case on Oct. 16, and 2 cumulative employee cases.
Sulphur Springs Health and Rehabilitation continued to have three active employee cases on Oct. 16. The facility reported 5 cumulative employee cases, 16 cumulative resident cases, including 2 resident deaths, according to the Oct. 30 HHS nursing home report.
There were no active COVID-19 cases reported at either Wesley House or Hopkins Place on Oct. 16, according to the Oct. 30 HHS assisted living facility 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. 29, HHS reported on Oct. 30.
