COVID UPDATE: Cases spike, but vaccine on the way
The holiday weekend saw a spike in COVID testing on Monday.
Milam County Judge Steve Young said that county tested 96 people in Rockdale on Monday with 49 positive cases. That is a 51 percent positivity rate.
“In the last 28 days of testing we have now tested 1,194 individuals with 346 positive results, with an overall positivity rate of 29 percent,” Young said.
Testing will be done in Thorndale at the Thorndale VFD from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Tuesday, for any Milam County resident with COVID symptoms.
“We have a lot of new confirmed cases to report as well,” he said. “There are 24 new PCR cases and 13 new antigen cases. The good news is that 54 PCR cases and 49 antigen cases were discharged from our active list. Eight individuals were admitted to a hospital, but six were discharged.”
The Health Department has about a 40-case backlog due to the holidays, meaning that these individuals have yet to be contacted or have been called, but not actually spoken to.
He said that help is truly on the way and the county should receive the first 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine tomorrow afternoon.
“This will be administered to front-line healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities, pursuant to the State’s guidelines,” Young said. “Brookshire Brothers will also receive the vaccine this week as well and they too will administer the drug to front-line healthcare workers and residents of long-term health care facilities.”
He said that as soon as these two groups are vaccinated, they will start on the second group, which are people 65 years of age and older and people 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from the virus.
“This will be done at no charge to anyone and this is totally voluntary,” he said. “No one can be forced to be vaccinated. Those who have insurance may be charged an administration fee, but those who have no insurance will not be charged.”
If you would like more information about who gets the drug and how it will be administered, please click on the link: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx
Milam County Cases as of Monday, December 28, 2020:
1. Confirmed PCR cases 863 up 24
2. Confirmed active PCR cases 42 – down 30
3. Confirmed probable (antigen) cases 519 up 13
4. Confirmed active probable cases 58 – down 37
5. Total confirmed cases in Milam County 100 – down 67
6. Currently monitored individuals 299 – up 13
7. Hospitalizations 15 – up 2
a. 5 persons on ventilators – no change
b. Cumulative hospitalizations since the pandemic started 109
8. Deaths 11 – no change