COVID Numbers are Up Here But Severity of Cases Down
At least 12 more people in Fayette County tested positive for COVID-19 this week, as of Thursday morning, June 25. That brings the total number of confirmed cases to 76 and the number of active cases to 42.
Fayette County Emergency Management Chief Craig Moreau said the majority of the new cases announced this week came from the two recent mass testing events held in Fayette County. Two weeks ago, the County tested 679 residents and staff at the five nursing homes in Fayette County. Then last Wednesday, the County tested 206 people at a free drive-up testing event in Schulenburg.
“I do feel there is more of the disease at present than it has been, but at the same time testing has gone up 800 percent,” Moreau said. “When you test eight times more people, you’re going to get a rise.”
Moreau said only two patients in Fayette County are hospitalized, and both of those are in stable condition. The last death attributed to COVID-19 in Fayette County was on April 23.
Moreau said most of recent positive tests came from patients much younger than most of those diagnosed when the virus started to appear in Fayette County.
“They’re better able to deal with the disease,” Moreau said. “However, they are more likely to be social and more likely to be asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, which leads them to potentially spread it more. “There is some discussion out there that the disease might have had a small mutation that has led the disease to be more contagious but less fatal,” Moreau said. “I can’t tell you if that is definitely true, but I can tell you that it feels like that is true here. It looks like we’re getting more cases, but those cases have not been as serious.”
Moreau said the County remains in close contact with organizers of upcoming events such as the La Grange High School Graduation and the Round Top July 4th Celebration. He said the County assisted organizers with putting protocols in place to minimize the risk of the virus spreading.
“It was anticipated that some people in the audience will likely be COVID positive, and the guidelines we put in place took that into account,” Moreau said. “We believe the stipulations put in place will do a decent job. But it really comes down to personal responsibility. We can have all the guidelines in the world, but if you’re hugging people you’re not supposed to be hugging, and sharing drinks, then there’s only so much a good plan can do. It comes down to people taking personal responsibility and becoming experts on their own health.”
He said the County does not have any plans to cancel other major events later this summer, such as the Fayette County Fair, Schulenburg Festival and Flatonia Czhilispiel, which are all planning to proceed.
“There’ll be minor changes for sure, and there could be some major changes depending on how things progress,” Moreau said. “But at this time, I think the fairs will go on in some form or fashion.”
For example, he said the participants in the Round Top July 4th parade will not be allowed to throw candy from the floats over concerns about virus transmission. At the Fayette County Fair, Moreau said vendors might change the way they serve patrons in order to reduce congregation in concession lines.
“We’ll have to look at those kinds of things on a case by case basis,” Moreau said. “But it still comes down to personal responsibility.”
He hinted that some events may try to prevent people from dancing as a way to lessen the risk of virus transmission.
“If we don’t have a dance floor and people are off to the side dancing with each other, that’s an infection risk,” Moreau said. “If you’re dancing with your wife, that’s probably not an infection risk.”
Rec. Center Closed After Positive Case
In other COVID news this week, La Grange City Manager Shawn Raborn gave an update on some recent city facility closures. Randolph Rec. Center cancelled youth summer camp activities this week after a Rec Center employee tested positive for coronavirus. Parents of all the children who attend the summer camp program were notified, Raborn said, and all other staff members were tested as a precaution. The summer camp program is tentatively set to resume after June 29. The employee at the Rec Center also worked occasionally at the pool. As a result, the pool was closed until this Friday, June 26. Raborn said the risk of infection at the pool and splashpad is somewhat less than in other facilities due to chlorine in the water.
Fayetteville ISD also has had a staff member test positive but that person has not been on campus in the last 12 days.