Falls County testing numbers soar as cases increase slightly

Falls County now has a total of 35 coronavirus cases. Overall, 12 of these cases were recorded on the west side of the Brazos River and 22 were recorded on the west side of the river. Nine cases have been male and 25 have been female. No information has been provided on the last reported case, which came to light on July 6. 

Falls County is at a total of 2.1 percent per 1000 people and has seen a 21.4 percent increase in positives since June 29.

According to Falls County Judge Jay Elliott, though DSHS gives an estimate of how many cases are recovered and active, these numbers may be skewed, as retesting after a positive outcome is the only way DSHS tracks the recovered cases. 

“I have eight cases from before June 15 that aren’t considered recovered,” he said, speaking of the information provided prior to July 6. “In reality, it’s probably more like 14 or 16 active.”

Given that the incubation period for the virus is about two weeks, the eight that remain active should be considered recovered, along with possibly a couple others recorded after the June 15 date.

On July 6, the DSHS database was updated to show a very similar number. It showed 15 active and 19 recovered cases. 

County testing numbers have gone up significantly in the last week, but this may be due to a backlog of tests. According to a representative from Falls Community Hospital, the medical facility has been awaiting past results for a long while.

There have been a total of 2167 tests that have been administered, a 139.7 percent increase since June 29. In regards to testing, 13 percent of the total population or 54.4 percent per 1000 individuals have been tested. 

The surrounding counties follow similar, yet varying trends. McLennan and Bell Counties have had the largest increases. McLennan saw a 119.9 percent increase in cases (1636 total) and 13.6 percent increase in testing numbers. Bell has had a 35 percent increase in cases (1523 total), with a 3.8 percent increase in testing numbers. 

Limestone and Robertson Counties fall just behind those two. Robertson County has 57 cases, which is a 35.7 percent increase since June 29, but only had a 10.6 percent increase in testing numbers. Limestone County has had a 29.8 percent increase in cases, totalling out at 61. There have been 1261 tests administered, which is an increase of 29.7 percent.

Milam County is increasing in cases and testing at a lower rate than any of the others. There are a total of 82 cases, which is an increase of only 15 percent. Testing number have risen by 3.6 percent in that time frame.

The State of Texas had a total of 195,239 positive cases on July 6, an increase of more than 25 percent in one week’s time. Testing in the state has only increased by 15 percent, totalling out at 2,371,709 tests administered. The state beat it’s daily case record not once, but twice in that week. July 1 had 8,076 new cases, followed only three days later with 8,258 new cases.

The United States has seen an increase of 11.8 percent in the last week, breaking the record for daily cases twice as well. July 1 had 54,357 new cases, beating the record set the week prior. Only two days later, that record was superseded, with a total of 57,718 new cases recorded. On July 6 there were a total of 2,886,277 cases nationwide.

Citizens are encouraged to continue following the social distancing guideline set forth by the Center for Disease Control. Masks are required for entry into any business and in public places, per Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order released on Thursday July 2. The order requires Texans living in counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while in a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible. But it provides several exceptions, including for children who are younger than 10 years old, people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, people who are eating or drinking, and people who are exercising outdoors. 

Counties with 20 or fewer active cases can be exempted , but only if they opt out. County judges must submit an application to be exempted to the Texas Division of Emergency Management. It is not yet known if Falls County plans to explore this option, now that the database has been updated to reflect a more accurate synopsis of recovered and active case numbers. 

For more information about coronavirus prevention or what to do if you are sick, head to www.coronavirus.gov. Follow cases in Falls County by going to the COVID-19 dashboard found at  www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus.