Local Health Authority Update: COVID-19 Cases Up-to-Date Information

Local Health Authority Update: COVID-19 Cases Up-to-Date Information

Please see the following update from the Brewster County Local Health Authority, Ekta Escovar, regarding the most up-to-date information on case counts:

"Hi folks. There are a few different numbers of total tests, positive cases, and negative cases floating around.
Test numbers: The tri-county medical community has been working together over the last few months to share their numbers of positive and negative tests performed in each clinic. This allowed us to make a tri-county total quite easily, and we added how many tests were done with every mobile testing site to keep a running total. Now, with increasing number of testing being done at each clinic, the hospital, and the large amount of mobile testing done last week and this week, the numbers have begun to vary. I can verify that the total number of tests done in the tri-county are over 1,700.
Positive cases: Due to names being attached to positive cases, this information is not shared widely to ensure patient privacy is maintained. The Texas Dept of State Health Services (DSHS) notifies the individual's County Judge and/or Local Health Authority that they have a positive case in the county. If a swab was done at a local clinic or hospital, many times the physician or provider knows of the positive result first and they then notify the patient and notify DSHS (COVID is a reportable disease). Positive test results from any mobile testing site are processed through DSHS labs, so they will know positives before the county does.
With the large amount of mobile testing teams coming through the area last week and this week, the data we were keeping track of locally will be out of date as the majority of the data won't be coming from local clinics as much as through DSHS. Therefore the numbers on the DSHS website will be more accurate at this time.
 
The Local Health Authority will continue to keep an eye on numbers but would like to advise the public that we likely won't be getting any press releases, and there will be less need for charts released from her office, now that the DSHS website has caught up.