All-Time COVID Case Total Passes 1,000 Here

Fayette County logged about 30 new cases of COVID-19 since Sunday. This week the County also surpassed 1,000 cases since the coronavirus pandemic began.

According to figures from the Fayette County Office of Emergency Management, there were 81 combined active and probable cases as of Sunday, Dec. 6. By Wednesday, Dec. 9, that number rose to 111.

The Record asked Emergency Management Chief Craig Moreau whether the rise in cases was due to families gathering for the Thanksgiving holiday two weeks ago.

“I think that’s a possibility,” he said. “But the larger culprit overall, I think, is COVID fatigue.

“People need psycho-social interactions,” he added. “They’ve been isolated from friends and family and loved ones for a long, long time. Some people can’t continue doing that. They’re saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to make my connections even if it kills me.’ Some people are making that as a conscious choice. Other people may be doing it subconsciously. It’s going on, and it’s a nationwide trend.”

Moreau said Fayette County case numbers remain much better than other parts of Texas and the nation, despite the recent uptick in cases. He said Fayette County’s new cases per capita ranks the best out of the nine surrounding counties, 22nd out of 254 counties in Texas and 80th out of 3,224 counties in the United States.

“We’re not on an island and we will be affected by other people,” Moreau said “I think people are doing the best they can, but there is still room for improvement.”

Moreau said the County has averaged three hospitalizations (at any one time) due to COVID-19 over the past several weeks. He said St. Mark’s Hospital in La Grange has been treating most of those in need of hospitalization. He said around 80 percent of the hospitalizations and deaths due to coronavirus in Fayette County involved people over 70 years old or those with significant pre-existing medical conditions.

Most of the cases overall involve younger people, however. Moreau said 19 percent of all cases in Fayette County are children and young adults under 20 years old.

Moreau said the County received some guidance from the State concerning coronavirus vaccines. He said vaccine distribution would take place in four phases. The first round of vaccines will go to healthcare workers directly dealing with COVID patients. The next group to receive vaccinations will be other healthcare workers along with some elderly and high-risk residents. The third group to receive the vaccine will be the general public with priority given to healthcare workers, elderly and high-risk residents who did not already get the vaccine. After that, Moreau said, vaccines will be available to anyone else who wants one.

Moreau said there will be no mandate to get the vaccine, but anyone who wants one will eventually be able to get one.