The downward trend in new Milam County COVID-19 positive tests resumed over the week as the county gears up for quick-testing clinics, hoped to start as soon as Tuesday.
Only 17 new positive tests were reported for the week ending Wednesday morning—Reporter presstime—marking the fifth time in the past six weeks for that figure to drop and the lowest total since 17 were also recorded for the week ending July 1.
Forty-one logged the week ending Aug. 19 was the first increase in four weeks. Twelve of those 41 came from a testing day Aug. 13 at the Thorndale VFW Hall.
As of Wednesday morning, Milam had logged 413 cumulative cases, compared to 396 last week.
Also impressive the active cases in the county dropped by 21, from, 36 to 15. That’s the lowest count since the week ending Aug. 6.
Hospitalizations dropped by two, from four to 2, the lowest count since the week ending July 8.
Probable cases went up by 13, from nine to 22.
Four Milam residents have died, no change from a week ago.
NONE!—A rarity was logged on Thursday when there were no new COVID-19 positive cases in the county, the first such day since early spring.
(For the past two Mondays, the state has failed to issue an “over the weekend” COVID-19 tally, covering cases reported Saturday and Sunday).
County Judge Steve Young told County Commissioners on Monday he attributed the drop to Milam residents wearing masks, practicing social distancing and frequent hand-washing.
He termed the drop in cases “substantial.”
TESTING—Young said procedures are in place for the “quick return” testing and the county thinks the first of 1,000 tests should arrive Friday.
He said schedules should be posted at mid-week and noted the free tests are for Milam residents who display symptoms of COVID-19.
“We have the two nurses on board,” he said “Our thinking now is that we will take the machines with us to the clinic sites throughout the county and give those tested their results pretty much right then.”
Testing is envisioned at volunteer fire department stations including Rockdale, Cameron, Thorndale, Buckholts, Milano and Gause.
MORE STATS—On Friday the Milam County Health Department issued one of its periodic updates on geographic locations and demographics for positive COVID-19 tests in the county.
As in all the previous listings the county’s most populated areas continue to contain three-fourths or more of the positive tests.
Cameron and Rockdale zip codes combined, have 79 percent of the cases. (That’s 48-percent for Cameron and 31-percent for Rockdale).
That’s followed by these zip codes: Thorndale, 7 percent; Milano, 6 percent; Buckholts, 5 percent; Gause, Davilla and Burlington, one percent each.
As for age groups, Milam County continues to see a big majority of cases in the ages between 20 and 69, which account for 77 percent.
The 40-49 age group leads with 18 percent. That’s followed by 30-39 with 16 and both 20-29 and 50-59 with 15 percent each.
The 60-69 age group comes in at 13 percent.
Age group 10-19 has 10 percent, five percent each for 70-79 and 80-89; three percent for zero-nine and two percent for 90-99.
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