Oct. 13 Hopkins County COVID-19 Update: 28 Recoveries, 9 New Cases
Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials reported more Hopkins County people recovered from COVID-19 than the number of people who received positive COVID-19 test results on Tuesday. The 28 recoveries reported Tuesday in the HC/SSEM Oct. 13 Hopkins County COVID-19 Update. was good news, but wasn’t enough to balance or offset the number of new positive cases reported over the last 2 days.
A whooping 32 new cases, the most ever reported at one time by the HC/SSEM, were reported on Monday and 9 nine additional cases were reported Tuesday. The 28 recoveries Tuesday and 2 on Monday, reduced the overall active case count from 119 to 100, according to the Oct. 13 Hopkins County COVID-19 update.
The 41 new cases reported so far this week bring the total number of Hopkins County residents who have tested positive so far this month to 92. That’s more new cases during the first 13 days of October than during the whole month of July, when 89 total cases were reported, and more than August, when 91 people tested positive for COVID-19. That’s about 2.5 times more cases reported Oct. 1-13 than Sept. 1-13.
The 30 recoveries reported this week, combined with those already posted this month amount to 70 recoveries so far. That’s also more than 4 times as many recoveries reported so far this month than during the first 13 days of September.
Cumulatively, there have been 453 Hopkins County residents test positive for COVID-19 since March, including 353 who have recovered from the virus. HC/SSEM reported in the Oct. 13 Hopkins County COVID-19 update.
HC/SSEM in their Oct. 13 Hopkins County COVID-19 update reported 132 were performed at the free testing site on Monday, Oct. 12. That’s 323 tests conducted over the last week at the testing site and a total of 1,078 tests performed since testing was first offered at at 128-A Jefferson St. on Sept. 25.
Free testing for COVID-19 will continue to be offered for anyone. Symptoms are not required. The test is a mouth swab molecular test, according to information provided by Texas Department of Emergency Management and local officials. Register online at GoGetTested.com. Simply log on, scroll down to “Sulphur Springs — Red Cross/Old Fidelity Express — Texas Emergency Management” location, click the green “BOOK NOW” button in the right corner and follow the prompts.
The COVID Unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs had 6 patients, one more patient on Tuesday than on Monday, Oct. 12, when the fewest number of patients was reported so far this month. The most patients in the COVID Unit so far in October has been 9, which is still only half of the 3-month high of 17 posted on Sept. 28. In fact, the COVID unit remained in double digits from Sept. 21-30, a time span when 9 Hopkins County residents were reported by the state to have died from COVID-19.
The were no new reports of COVID-19 deaths for Hopkins County on either Oct. 12 or Oct. 13. But, 20 Hopkins County residents have died from COVID-19 over the last 3 1/2 months. Two deaths were reported in July, 6 in August, 9 in September and 3 So far this month, according to Texas Department of State Health Services, which receives notification when COVID-19 is listed as officials cause of death on death certificates.
Texas Health and Human Services’ Oct. 13 report showed no change in nursing home COVID-19 case counts in Hopkins County. There continued to be 27 active resident cases at Carriage House Manor as of Sept. 29, according to HHS. The facility had 16 employees and test positive, but those cases were no longer active on Sept. 29; there had been total of 45 resident cases, including 13 recoveries and 4 deaths as of Sept. 29, according to the HHS report.
There continued to be 1 active COVID-19 case among Wesley House employees on Sept. 29, according to the Oct. 13 HHS assisted living facility report. The facility has had 7 residents test positive for COVID-19, but all 7 had recovered by Sept. 29.
There were no active COVID-19 cases at any of the licensed child care centers, school-age programs or before and after school programs in in Hopkins County on Oct. 12, according to the Oct. 13 HHS report.
Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner Discusses Three-Win Week on Coach’s Show Saturday
Lady Cats Volleyball Coach Bailey Dorner talked about a big week last week for her team on KSST Radio and Cable Channel 18’s Saturday, Oct. 10, Morning Coach’s Show.
Playing three matches at home, the Lady Cats came from behind to defeat Marshall on Tuesday and then won a pair of matches Friday against Pine Tree and Mount Pleasant. Coach Dorner said the three home wins were especially important after her team’s loss on the road to start district play at Texas High on Oct. 2.
After the Texas High loss, Coach Dorner told her team they had the chance to improve to 3-1 in district play or fall to 0-4. She said they could either lay down or fight. Coach Dorner’s plans seemed to be in trouble Tuesday as the Lady Cats fell behind Marshall 2-0 at home. But, the Lady Cats rallied winning the last three sets to win the match. The 5-set win removed a monkey from the backs of the team and Coach Dorner. The Lady Cats last won a 5-set match early last season.
On the Coach’s Show, Coach Dorner agreed that her team played some of their best volleyball of the season Friday in 3-0 wins against Pine Tree and in the make up match against Mount Pleasant. She said no one on the team had a bad game. Coach Dorner noted that the Lady Cats hardly let the ball hit the floor in their Pine Tree win. She attributed that to fantastic effort to get to balls.
Earlier last week, Coach Dorner and her staff worried about the difficulty of playing back-to-back matches. Fortunately, the Lady Cats took out Pine Tree in three sets. Still Coach Dorner said her team was a little bit tired at the start of the Mount Pleasant match but they were able to overcome that.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Game Day: Wildcats Team Tennis Hosts Hallsville, Lady Cats Volleyball Team Gets Night Off
There is Wildcats Team Tennis on this Tuesday, October 13, game day. The Wildcats have a district match with Hallsville at the Wildcat Tennis Complex beginning at 2:30 p.m.
The Wildcats have not had a match for two weeks. They are currently 2-2 in district play and 3-2 overall this season. When the Wildcats won at Pine Tree back on September 29, Wildcats Tennis Coach Tony Martinez said the win assured the Wildcats of a playoff spot. Since that match, the Wildcats canceled non-district matches at Van on October 3 and at Pleasant Grove on October 6.
Today’s match against Hallsville may shape up as a battle for third place in the district. The Wildcats complete district play next Tuesday at Marshall.
Meanwhile the Lady Cats Volleyball Team has in bye in district play on this game day Tuesday.
The Lady Cats are 3-1 in district play and 6-6 for the season. The Lady Cats resume district play on Friday as they play host to Hallsville at the Main Gym at Sulphur Springs High School. The varsity match gets things started Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Yantis ISD Suspending Remote Learning
Yantis ISD is suspending remote learning as of Friday, Oct. 16, according to the superintendent.
All Yantis ISD students, with the exception of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have temporarily been place in quarantine, will return to the school campus for face-to-face instruction beginning Tuesday, Oct. 20, Superintendent Tracey Helfferich announced in a letter to Yantis ISD families posted on the district social media accounts Tuesday morning, Oct. 13.
Helfferich said noted that 28 percent of YISD’s online learners were failing at least one class at the end of the first 9-weeks of school. Many remote learners are already beginning to return to campus and with improved performance results.
Remote learning has also been especially challenging and taxing for YISD teachers, who start their days earlier to deal with challengers of COVID-19 and have been required to teach on different platforms to serve students on campus and as well as those who chose remote learning.
“Our staff has performed all of these task while putting in more hours than we should ask of them. We know that this workload along with the stress of keeping up with all of it is not sustainable,” Helfferich wrote in the letter.
Families who do not want their students to return to school may withdraw from YISD to homeschool their children using accredited online learning programs such as K12 Online Schools or TxVSN-The Texas Virutal School Network. enroll in a private school or request a transfer to a district that offers remote learning.
Parents may address questions related to their child’s return to face-to-face learning to the student’s campus principal.
7 Additional Positive COVID-19 Results Reported For Sulphur Springs ISD
Seven additional positive COVID-19 results were reported for Sulphur Springs ISD students and employees on Monday,
On Oct. 12, the district was notified 5 additional students and one additional staff member at high school had received lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 results. One staff member at Douglass Early Childhood Learning Center also received positive coronavirus results on Monday.
That’s 13 high school students and 3 staff at high school who have tested positive over the last week, and 16 students and 5 staff members at high school this month.
Also testing positive over the last week were 4 staff members at Barbara Bush Primary and 1 staff member at middle school. On Oct. 5, 2 middle school staff members also tested positive. That’s a total of 16 students and 13 staff members at SSISD who have received positive COVID-19 results so far in October, according to SSISD reports.
In September, a dozen students and 2 staff members at high school, 3 students and 2 employees at middle school, 3 staff members at Sulphur Springs Elementary, 2 district employees, 1 Douglass ECLC student, 1 Travis Primary student and 2 Bowie Primary students tested positive for COVID-19, according to the school notifications.
Overall, that’s at least 35 students and 23 staff member were on SSISD premises or buses within a the week of receiving the positive test result. That’s not counting any students or staff who tested positive before classes began or who were not on campus prior to receiving a positive COVID-19 test result.
Hopkins County Jury Returned Guilty Findings In Burglary Trial
A Hopkins County jury returned guilty findings in the burglary trial of Cash Allen Price, officials reported just after 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Price, 33, was accused on two counts of burglary of a building, a shop/barn and a storage container, on April 5, 2020.
Jury selection was held Monday. The trial immediately followed Monday and continued Tuesday morning, Oct. 13, at Hopkins County Civic Center to allow for social distancing between jurors as well as among court officials and the public. The jury was given the charge and began deliberating in both burglary cases after 11 a.m. and returned a guilty verdict before 1 p.m. Oct. 13.
Prosecutors closed their case Tuesday morning. The defendant after twice consulting with his attorney, Clay Johnson, Tuesday morning opted not to testify. The defense then also closed, opting not to put on a case. Johnson reminded the jury that the burden of proof was on the state, but that the defense was not required to do so.
Eighth Judicial District Judge Eddie Northcutt denied Johnson’s request to include as an option in the charges the lesser included offense of criminal trespass, citing case law regarding criminal trespassing as a lesser included offense in burglary cases.
Johnson in his closing statements argued that the evidence presented by Assistant District Attorney Zachary Blackmon better fit the definition of criminal trespass then burglary of a building. He argued Blackmon did not present all 5 elements required for a burglary conviction, as outlined in the charge and read by Northcutt.
Northcutt instructed the jury to consider whether the defense proved within a reasonable doubt all 5 elements of each alleged burglary when determining guilt or innocence of Cash Price in the two building burglaries: whether the defendant intentionally, knowingly or reckless less entered each building; that the structure entered was a building; that the building was not open to the public; that the property owner did not grant permission to the defendant to enter the building; the defendant entered the building with the intent to commit a felony theft or assault. He said the defense must have proven each of the five elements of burglary within a reasonable doubt ccording to the legal definitions and parameters of the law.
Blackmon asked the jury to use their common sense to why the shop door was pried open and a 5-gallon bucket filled with tools, saddles moved from their designated spot to by the door, chainsaw stacked on toolboxes and a toolbox placed at the door entrance to be used as a step. He noted the pair arrived in a Budget van rented from Canton, which was involved in a vehicle ramming with the owner’s vehicle, That the owner recognized identified the defendant as the person who stood 10 feet from him him the day he found him and the other man at his storage building. The locks on the storage container were cut as well according to the owner’s testimony, Blackmon said during his closing statements.
Blackmon encouraged the jury to consider all evidence presented, testimony given as well as recordings played during the trial, and to request them for review if needed. Blackmon reminded them of the pieces of recorded phone conversations in which Price denied having anything to do with part of but not all charges against him, and that in Texas slightly guilty is considered guilty.
The property owner, who reported finding Price and another man in his storage building then confronted them, was among those called to testify Monday as did officials. Hunt County Sheriff’s Investigator Kenneth Peters testified Tuesday morning to locating Price April 4 walking in grass. Price was wet and muddy from being in the rainy weather.
Wanda Allen, as assistant jail administrator at Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office and custodian of records for the jail, testified that clips from audio recordings were from Price’s conversations with others using a jail phone; conversations on that phone are recorded. During one call, the list of charges on which Price has remained in Hopkins County jail since his arrest April 4 was stated. included theft of copper, two burglary of building charges, fraudulent use or possession of more than 5 items of identifying information and unlawful use of a criminal instrument. Price denies involvement in 4 of the charges, and maybe barely having anything to do with one charge. In another recorded conversation, he was asked why he ran if he didn’t do anything wrong. In another conversation, breaking and entering was discussed as a misdemeanor charge but copper theft as a felony offense.
Johnson in his closing statements argued the items in disarray in the shop building could have simply been moved by the owner while he worked inside the shop, not as a result of a burglary or intended theft. Johnson contended the evidence failed to place Price at the storage container, and that the door shown in the photos presented by prosecutors wasn’t even open. The defense attorney asked the jury to take into consideration the fact that no DNA evidence nor any fingerprints taken at the scene were presented as evidence tying Price to the alleged offenses.
Blackmon argued that the owner testified to seeing Price at his storage building and that if Price stuck his head in the door to look around or even so much as a fingernail breached the seal of the building, that is considered entry according to the law.
Burglary of a building is a state jail felony offense. State jail offenses are punishable upon conviction of 180 days to 2 years in state jail and a fine of up to $10,000, unless the the individual has previously been finally convicted of any felony. Then, the charge could be enhanced.
According to jail reports, Price has remained in custody since his arrest April 5, 2020; he was served while in custody with a warrant for violation of parole.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 16, officials reported.
Ready to Order Your Stew? Here’s Cooks for 96 Pots of Hopkins County’s Finest!
Unless you already have a ticket to the Hopkins County Stew Festival you will have to just Pre Order or Pick up Stew through a Drive through on Saturday, October 28th. Quarts will be $ 10.00 each this year.
This is your chance to choose quarts from your favorite cooks or the ones you’ve been dying to try. We are reserving a limited amount for the drive-thru, and we will not be accepting preorders after October 21st, so you will want to call or stop by the Chamber ASAP!
Want to take care of preordering your quarts of stew before the weekend? We don’t blame you! The sooner, the better… Call the Chamber at (903) 885-6515, and they’ll fill out the form for you! The process is super easy!
Attached is a list of the 2020 stew cooks, in case you want to start planning your order.
T-shirts and hoodies for this year’s Stew are now available. Trust us, you want one! They are in stock in most sizes at the Chamber office, 110 Main Street.
Aggravated Assault Reported On Main Street
A man reportedly sustained a head injury during an aggravated assault reported on Main Street Monday night, according to police reports.
Around 9 p.m. Oct. 12, a man reported opening a door in the 2000 block of Main Street to a female who knocked. Two males, one wearing a mask, were alleged to have stepped up and assaulted the male, striking him with what was through to be a handgun on the back of the head, Sulphur Springs Police investigators reported Tuesday morning.
The injured man was transported to the hospital to be treated for the head injury, then later released, according to police.
Sulphur Springs Police are asking anyone who may have information about this assault to contact Detective Sgt. Jason Reneau at 903-885-9302 or 903-885-7602.
Candidate Profiles: Cumby City Council Election
Early voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 13, for the General Election. In addition to containing national, county and state races, the ballot for voters who live in Cumby will contain the Cumby City Council and City of Cumby sales and use tax reauthorization elections as well.
Voters who reside within the city limits of Cumby will be asked to choose one of two choices for Alderman Place 1 and Alderman Place 2 on Cumby City Council as well as to reauthorize local sale and use tax of 1/4th of 1 percent to provide revenue for street maintenance and repairs.
A special election was originally scheduled in the spring to fill the two empty seats. However, due to COVID-19 the election had to be canceled. This summer, an election for both seats and mayoral election was called for Nov. 3. At the end of filing, the same candidates had filed for Alderman Place 1 and Place 2, and Doug Simmerman drew no challengers for mayor. The sale and use tax was also added to the ballot.
Early voting by personal appearance in the Cumby elections will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Oct. 13 and continuing through Oct. 30 in the Game Room at The ROC, First Baptist Church’s Recreational Outreach Center, 115 Putman St., in Sulphur Springs. Extended voting hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, and Thursday, Oct. 29. On Election Day, Nov. 3, voting will be conducted at the 12 county voting centers, including Cumby Municipal Building, 100 East Main St.
Applications for ballots by mail for those who qualify must be not just postmarked but received no later than the close of business on Oct. 23. Applications for ballots by mail should be mailed to Hopkins County Clerk Tracy Smith, 128 Jefferson St., Suite C, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. Ballots by mail may be returned by mail or, for this election only, dropped off at the voting location. Other voting information, including sample ballots are available on the Hopkins County website (http://www.hopkinscountytx.org/) under the Voter Information menu
Cumby voters will be asked to choose one of the the two candidates for Place 1, Sheryl Lackey or Wayne Mobley; one of the two candidates for Place 2, Amber Hardy and Audri Mayo; and whether they are for or against Proposition A for the street maintenance tax. Doug Simmerman’s name also appears on the ballot, although he is unchallenged in his bid for reelection as city mayor.
To help voters learn a little more about the four council candidates who are challenged for the seat they seek, KSST asked each to complete a candidate profile provide information about themselves and their candidacy, including their reasons for seeking a seat on Cumby City Council. Candidates responses are shared here, in ballot order by Place, in their own words.
Place 1 Alderman
Candidate 1
Name and office sought:
Sheryl Lackey, Cumby City Council Alderman Place 1
Family information:
Married for 27 years and we have 4 children, one grandchild and another on the way.
Occupation:
Stay at home house-wife and small business owner.
Education, training, etc.:
Before getting married I worked for a Law-firm in Dallas as a receptionist/secretary as well as started training with a paralegal.
Why are you seeking this office?
I am seeking a place on the Cumby City Council as 3 of our 4 children have grown into adulthood and started pursuing their own interests with their lives and families. I got a chance to be more involved with the community in which I live and have grown to love. I have a passion for serving and helping, and serving as council member would be a great way to give back to our community.
What do you feel are the top areas of concern, need or challenges in the office you are seeking, and your plan to address them?
As everyone is aware the City of Cumby’s finances have been in a disarray for many years. Without operating with the proper checks and balances some of our former leaders were spending money inadvisably and imprudently. Slowly but surely it is getting better, however, I feel there is much room for improvement with transparency and “Day to Day” operations, better checks and balances in every department; especially with the findings of the Forensic Audit. I feel the budget needs to be readdressed and restructured by taking line items out or drastically reduced. I will urge the Mayor and Council to give up our pay which currently at the end of the year it is costing the citizens $6,300. The current council has a budget of $2,500 for training, I believe this could be significantly reduce to $1,000 by utilizing the Texas Municipal League’s resources with past webinars starting at $65, in which the city secretary as well as the council members would benefit.
We have infrastructure issues that desperately need to be addressed. We have water tanks, pumps and well issues along with roads that are in much need of repair, improper maintenance and lack of foresight has helped create these problems. I believe as a council we need to aggressively pursue grants that will not only allow us to upgrade and maintain our current systems, but, also put us in a position to handle future growth of our city.
Cumby operates with a “Strong Mayor” form of Government. Listening to members of the community there is a huge division within our small town. Many have voiced their concerns to council members with many issues up to and including city personnel and feel their voices are not being heard. I want to have an Ordinance written to change to a “Weak Mayor” form of Government so that the council will have more say when it comes to personnel matters. I will press to have committees that would involve citizens so that they can let their voices be heard. As the “Governing Body” the Council works for the Citizens and we need to start rebuilding the trust and prove that their voices do matter.
What do you feel is most important for the public to know about you and your candidacy?
It will take time for the City and community to facilitate changes that need to be done, however, I believe with teamwork and community input we can achieve these goals so that our town can thrive and prosper once again. I love this town just like a family and I look forward to the challenges and opportunities of uniting, rebuilding and restoring Cumby. I humbly ask for your vote during the November 3, 2020 election.
Candidate 2
Name and office sought:
Wayne Mobley
Alderman Pl. 1 city council
Family information:
single
Occupation, brief job description:
55 yrs in flooring ind.
Certified in all fields including Building
Education, training, special skills, experience:
H.S. — Certified in floors covering building
Why are you seeking this office:
Was asked To by Friends
What do you feel are the top areas of concern, need or challenges in the office you are seeking, and your plan to address them?
Streets — Street Lights — clean up old houses
What do you feel is most important for the public to know about you and your candidacy?
Brutally honest — Tell The Truth no mater what, speak my mind
Alderman Place 2
Candidate 1
Name and office sought:
Amber Hardy
Cumby City Council- Alderman place 2
Family information:
I am married and have 2 daughters.
Occupation, brief job description:
I am a substitute teacher at Cumby Elementary. I cover classrooms when teachers are out.
I work with grades pre-k through 6th
Education, training, special skills, experience:
I have a high school diploma. I have coached youth sports teams for 3 years.
Why are you seeking this office?
Because I want to be a part of the positive change that I wish to see in our community.
What do you feel are the top areas of concern, need or challenges in the office you are seeking, and your plan to address them?
My first and foremost concern is the division I have seen in our small town. My husband and I moved here 6 years ago, because we felt Cumby was a small, tight knit, family like town. We thought it the perfect place to raise our growing family. Since being here unfortunately, I have learned that our sweet town is torn, one against the other. United we stand and divided we fall. If everyone could come together as one, for the sake of our future, our town could flourish in so many aspects. I hope to see unity, and I will be honest and open minded to everyone and their ideas. I will hear their concerns with an unbiased opinion. I will listen. And I will speak for the ones who aren’t being heard.
There are obvious issues with our infrastructure. Water, streets, schools, and funding. I hope to help bring ideas to the table that could potentially create a solution for some of these issues.
What do you feel is most important for the public to know about you and your candidacy?
I am honest. And that’s all I ever will be. There’s no place, and no use for secrets.
I am completely invested in the youth of our community. I am a substitute teacher at our elementary school. I am a Tball and Softball coach for CYSA. I am also a youth soccer coach for Commerce Parks and Rec. I dedicate every single day to working with children. They are the future of our town.
I have been active at city council meetings for the past 2 years. I have been in the front row asking questions and voicing concerns. And I’ve done so politely and respectfully. I feel now is the time to do more than sit on the sidelines. I can not allow myself to question the problems we face, and not be willing to play an active role in finding solutions.
Candidate 2
Name and office sought:
Audri Mayo, City of Cumby, Alderman Place 2
Family information:
Married to Allen Mayo for almost 30 years. Two children who live in Round Rock, Texas with four grandchildren, 2 step-children, 7 step-grandchildren, 5 great step-grandchildren.
Occupation, brief job description:
Self-employed insurance underwriter with the same company for over 10 years. Provide insurance companies with pertinent information necessary to make claim decisions.
Education, training, special skills, experience:
Degree in Psychology from Texas A&M Commerce with some work toward my master’s degree. I have worked 30+ years in management for several different companies earning multiple certifications related to the insurance industry. My management career has involved inventory control, data processing, and most areas of accounting. Additional time spent working toward RN which compliments my insurance underwriter skills.
Why are you seeking this office?
The years of management in several industries make me uniquely qualified to assist in identifying and resolving current and future issues related to city government.
What do you feel are the top areas of concern, need or challenges in the office you are seeking, and your plan to address them?
I think the city has come a long way in the last year toward making the city officials reputation whole again but I believe even more transparency is necessary to reassure the citizens that their tax dollar is being handled appropriately.
What do you feel is most important for the public to know about you and your candidacy?
I have been a homeowner in Cumby for almost 20 years so the stakes I’m working for are life-long stakes for me. I love this little city but I want to work hard to make it even better than it is. There is so much potential for Cumby to grow its economy yet still maintain the small-town charm.
Oct. 12 Hopkins County COVID-19 Update: 32 New Cases, 119 Active Cases, 2 recoveries
Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management officials reported 32 new cases but only 2 recoveries, increasing the overall active COVID-19 case count for Hopkins County to 119 on Columbus Day, according to the Oct. 12 Hopkins County COVID-19 update.
That’s the most COVID-19 cases reported in one day by HC/SSEM officials since the pandemic, even on Mondays, which since late August have included all case counts reported on the weekend as well. Previously, the highest new COVID-19 case count HC/SSEM officials reported in a single day was 25 cases reported on Sept. 21, when the active case count spiked to 73. The highest active case count reported at any one time since March was 92 on Friday, Sept. 25.
That increases the overall number of COVID-19 cases reported from Oct. 1-12 to 82. That’s more than the 38 new cases reported Sept. 1-12 and 52 new cases reported Aug. 1-12. It’s more than triple the 23 cases reported in June and nearly 8 times as many cases reported in May (11 total). The county’s cumulative case count through April 28 was only 4 cases
Hopkins County’s cumulative case county since March is 444. Of those, 325 Hopkins County residents had recovered as of about 2:45 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12.
Only 5 patients were in the COVID-19 unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital Sulphur Springs on Oct. 12, two less than HC/SSEM reported on Oct. 9 and only about half as many as reported in the Oct. 5 COVID-19 update, HC/SSEM officials reported in the Oct. 12 Hopkins County COVID-19 update.
HC/SSEM reported 144 COVID-19 tests were performed Saturday at the free testing site located at 128-A Jefferson St., in Sulphur Springs. That’s 425 molecular swab tests conducted at the site last week, 736 so far in October and 946 total since the free tests first were offered at that location on Sept. 25.
Testing continues Mondays-Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Jefferson Street building. Symptoms are not required to be tested at the free testing site; anyone, including children may be tested, provided they are accompanied and registered by a parent or guardian. Those planning to test are asked to register online at GoGetTested.com.
Also, there were no new reports from Texas Department of State Health Services on Oct. 12 of death certificate-confirmed COVID-19 deaths assigned to Hopkins County. Unfortunately, it still means that more than 4 percent of all people who have been lab confirmed via molecular test to have COVID-19 have died from the virus.
Texas Health and Human Services reported no changes in patient case counts from Sept. 24 to Sept 28 at Sulphur Springs Nursing homes. While there were no active employee cases on Sept. 28 at any of the four nursing homes in Sulphur Springs, Carriage House Manor continued to have 27 active patient cases on Sept. 28., according to the Oct. 12 HHS nursing facilities report.
There continued to be 1 active COVID-19 case among Wesley House employees on Sept. 28, according to the Oct. 12 HHS assisted living facility report.
There were no active COVID-19 cases at any of the licensed child care centers, school-age programs or before and after school programs in in Hopkins County on Oct. 11, according to the Oct. 12 HHS report.
