The up-and-down metric that is the Milam County COVID-19 count ticked up again during the past week, but the week saw the much anticipated beginning of “quick testing” with 24 persons tested Tuesday at the Thorndale VFD Fire Station.
Rockdale’s testing won’t be until Monday, Sept. 14 at the former Richards Memorial Hospital.
COUNTS—During the week the Milam County cumulative case total went up by 28 from 413 last Wednesday morning to 441 this Wednesday (Sept. 2).
That’s a bounce back up from last week when 17 new cases were reported and continues a zig-zag pattern for Milam.
Increases in cumulative counts for the past four weeks have been 21, 41, 17 and 28.
However, the overall trend in Milam County, Texas and the nation, has been a general decrease from highs earlier in the summer.
Reporter counts are early Wednesday to early Wednesday to keep counts the most current possible for print subscribers.
(During the week check out The Reporter website, www.rockdalereporter.com, or Facebook page.)
All the other Milam indicators went up also during the week.
During the week, the active case counts increased from 15 to 26.
Hospitalizations went up by four, going from two to six. Young said two persons remain in serious condition.
Probable cases increased from 22 to 25.
DEATH—A fifth death was logged for Milam County, up one from last week, but Young said the statistic is something of a mystery.
He said the state added one more death attributed to Milam on Thurs day but county officials have no details. “We are thinking this is someone who listed a Milam County address but passed away somewhere else,” he said. “We don’t know where or when.”
CONCERN—There was some concern through the weekend when expected “quick-testing kits” didn’t arrive Friday, throwing the beginning of such tests Tuesday at the Thorndale Volunteer Fire Department into doubt.
Suppliers blamed the delay on Hurricane Laura, which delivered a strong blow to southwestern Louisiana and parts of far eastern Texas last week.
(The parched Rockdale area, however, didn’t receive a drop of rain.)
SCHEDULE—But 200 of the test kits arrived Monday. Young said more were expected at midweek and 1,000 additional kits have been ordered.
Here’s the schedule for the six days beginning Wednesday, Sept. 2:
Wednesday—Milano, 8 a.m. to 12-noon, Milano Fire Station, 305 East US 79.
Gause testing was to have been 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gause Fire Station but the Sept. 2 testing was canceled due to the weather.
Thursday—Cameron, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cameron Fire Station, 1505 North Travis.
Friday—Buckholts, 8 a.m. to 12-noon, 111 West Main.
Monday, Sept. 14—Rockdale, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., former Richards Memorial Hospital.
Young said the tests will continue on that weekly schedule—with Rockdale’s on Mondays, except for Labor Day—until further notice.
COUNTIES—Milam continues to have more CPVID-19 cases than adjacent rural counties but the death total in some of those counties has soared in recent weeks.
See chart.
- Log in or Subscribe to post comments.