WASHINGTON CO. NOW OVER 1,000 TOTAL COVID-19 CASES
Washington County has now surpassed 1,000 total confirmed cases of COVID-19.
As of Wednesday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the county has reported 1,028 positive cases since the first case was reported in March. Through Wednesday, the county has 137 active cases, with 837 recoveries and 54 deaths.
Washington County Health Authority Dr. William Loesch said the county jumped “pretty rapidly” from the 600-700 case range to 1,000, but said it does not come as a “complete surprise” given how cases have been running in surrounding counties and across the state. He said delays in case counts from DSHS due to volume are still making it difficult to determine how cases are really rising, but the spike in cases continues after the Thanksgiving break.
Dr. Loesch said Brenham’s hospital capacity is doing fine right now, and the hospital is still at a point where it can do elective cases for patients. Meanwhile, he said numbers in College Station are still fairly high, but surge capacity is still available. He said there “isn’t any reason to be alarmed or frightened right now,” but encouraged citizens to do what they can to minimize spread.
Developments on the vaccine front are promising according to Dr. Loesch, who said there may be a vaccine for medical providers and nursing home patients as soon as next week if all goes according to plan. He said per reports and colleagues enrolled in trials that the effectiveness of this vaccine is “astounding,” is “optimistic” it will work, and believes this will be a “safe, effective way to end this pandemic.” He said the most common side effects of this vaccine will be symptoms like low grade fever or body aches, and stressed that the vaccine itself cannot give people the COVID-19 virus.
With the holidays approaching, Dr. Loesch said, “We are in the home stretch and can see the checkered flag.” He said he only sees “one more wasted holiday,” and believes that after the vaccine is available, people can “quickly start moving towards normal again.”
Free cheek swab testing will be offered today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday) at Blinn College in Brenham. The Texas Department of Emergency Management will offer tests in the Brenham Campus Student Center parking lot from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4:30 p.m. today, and from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 12:45 to 3 p.m. tomorrow.
There is a limited number of tests, and they will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Turnaround time for the test results will be 24-48 hours.