October continues to be record setter for COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County. At least twice this month Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials have reported new daily high records in COVID-19 cases. The total number of new cases reported in HC/SSEM’s Oct. 19 Hopkins County COVID-19 update has already far exceeded those reported in previous months.
Overall, HC/SSEM reported receiving confirmation that 77 Hopkins County residents received lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test results between 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 and 2:30 p.m. today, according to the HC/SSEM official’s Oct. 19 Hopkins County COVID-19 Update
Yes, the 77 cases does reflect a weekend total. But, HC/SSEM officials have been reporting weekend totals on Mondays since September, when the officials opted to provide daily COVID-19 updates Monday-Friday.
Prior to October, the largest number of new cases in a single day was 25 new cases on Monday, Sept. 21, when the active case count for Hopkins County rose to 73 and the patient count in the COVID-19 unit at the local hospital continued to be a double digit for a 10-day span.
The 77 new COVID-19 cases reported Oct. 19 is even more than twice as many cases as reported by HC/SSEM reported on Oct. 12, when the 32 cases new cases reported increased the active case count to a record 119 cases. In fact, more new cases were reported on Oct. 19 than during the entire last week; 52 new cases were reported from Oct. 11-16 for Hopkins County, including a day in which no new cases were reported at all.
That makes 180 Hopkins County residents who have received positive molecular novel coronavirus 2019 results in October, with 11 days left to go in the month. That’s a new record already. In fact, the case counts have continued to rise each month since May, with cases spiking to 89 in July, 91 in August and 118 in September.
HC/SSEM also in the Oct. 19 Hopkins County COVID-19 update reported 61 additional Hopkins County residents were confirmed to have recovered from COVID-19 as well. That’s more event than on Aug. 3, when the county officials reported 30 Hopkins County residents had recovered from COVID-19. Oct. 13 and Sept. 21 came close with 28 and 25 recoveries reported, respectively.
That’s a record of 131 recoveries reported so far in October. The most recoveries reported in a previous month was 97 in August, when overall 6 more people recovered than were diagnosed with COVID-19. Only 87 residents were reported to have recovered from COVID-19 in September, when new cases outpaced recoveries by 31 cases.
Overall, 414 of the 541 Hopkins County residents who have received lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 results since March have recovered. That leaves 127 active COVID-19 cases among Hopkins County residents, according to the Oct. 19 Hopkins County COVID-19 update.
HC/SSEM officials also on Oct. 19 reported 10 patients were in the COVID Unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs, the same number reported for the COVID Unit on Oct. 16.
Another 130 molecular COVID-19 tests were conducted at the free testing location on Jefferson Street on Oct. 16, for a total of 663 free tests conducted last week Oct. and 1,479 tests conducted since the site first opened on Sept. 25.
Free testing by oral swab will continue this week from 9-6 p.m. at 128-A Jefferson St. To register or for more information, go online to www.GoGetTested.com.
Nursing Home Reports
Texas Health and Human Services on Oct. 19 reported 5 additional residents of Carriage House Manor had died from COVID-19, for a total of 13 residents of the facility who had died from the virus as of Oct. 5, the most recent data available from HHS for nursing facilities.
Also on Oct. 5, there were 22 active cases and seven active cases among staff members of Carriage House Manor. Twenty residents had recovered. Overall, that makes 38 employee and 55 residents cases at Carriage House manor on Oct. 5, according to the Oct. 19 HHS nursing facility report.
Sulphur Springs Nursing & Rehab on Oct. 5 reported the facility had two active staff cases. Cumulatively, SSH&R reported 1 resident had recovered, two residents had died as a result of COVID-19 and a total of 6 residents have had the virus since March.
Sunny Springs reported 5 active staff and four active resident cases on Oct. 5. Cumulatively, the facility has had 8 staff cases and 8 resident cases since March, according to the Oct. 19 HHS nursing facility report.
As of Oct. 5, Rock Creek Health & Rehab had reported no resident and no employee cases at the facility, according to the HHS report.
Additional State Reports
Texas Department of State Health Services on Sunday and Monday reported no additional COVID-19 deaths for Hopkins County on its COVID-19 case count reports. Two cases additional cases were reported on Saturday, bringing the total of Hopkins County residents who have died as a result of COVID-19 to 23.
Deaths are assigned to counties based on COVID-19 listed on death certificates as the officials cause of COVID-19.
According to the Oct. 19 HHS assisted living facility report, Wesley House reported an employee who had tested positive on Sept. 30 continued to have COVID-19 on Oct. 5. That increases the facility’s total to five staff cases and seven residents who have recovered from COVID-19 since March.
There had been neither employee nor resident cases of COVID-19 at Hopkins Place as of Oct. 5, the other facility listed on the HHS assisted living facility reports.
According to the Oct. 19 HHS child care center report, there were no active cases reported at any licensed child care centers, school-age programs, or before or after-school programs in Hopkins County on Oct. 18.
