16th Confirmed Positive COVID-19 Case Announced in Maverick County, Texas
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
Eagle Pass Mayor Luis E. Sifuentes and Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo announced at their daily joint press conference held on Friday, April 24, 2020, that a 16th confirmed positive COVID-19 case in Maverick County, Texas was detected by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Eagle Pass Physician Assistant Denise Nemeth, a volunteer with the Maverick County Emergency Operations Center and Local Health Authority, stated that a total of 401 people had been tested for COVID-19 as of April 24, 2020 and 358 had tested negative, 16 positive, 27 are awaiting test results, and five had recovered.
Mayor Sifuentes stated that a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing center will be held on Sunday, April 26, 2020 in Eagle Pass, Texas at the Eagle Pass Independent School District Student Activity Center, located at 2051 East U.S. Highway, during 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas National Guard.
Sifuentes noted that all first responders and healthcare workers in Maverick County desiring a COVID-19 test will be provided one free of charge at the mobile drive-thru COVID-19 testing center on April 26th.
Sifuentes stated that all Maverick County residents who want to have a COVID-19 test on April 26th must present one of the symptoms of COVID-19 and register for an appointment by telephone at (512) 883-2400 or by email at: https://txcovidtest.org/ . Residents may register for the free COVID-19 test up until Sunday morning, but are recommended to register before Sunday, April 26th.
People getting a free COVID-19 test must present one of the following COVID-19 symptoms: a fever or cough, a dry or productive cough, sore throat, headaches, shortness of breath, body aches, muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, nasal congestion, loss of taste and/or smell.
Eagle Pass Independent School District Superintendent Samuel Mijares also spoke at the press conference and stated that the school district would commence serving meals for seven days of the week from Monday through Wednesday. Mijares also stated that Texas Governor Greg Abbott had closed public schools for the remainder of the school year, but that remote/online instruction will be continued to be offered to students for the remainder of the school year. Mijares invited residents with any questions, to call him at (830) 773-5181, Extension 1001, from Monday through Friday.
Sifuentes noted that all persons who have the COVID-19 test taken on Sunday, April 26th, will need to be quarantined until their test results are returned.
Judge Saucedo announced that the South Texas Food Bank will be holding another free senior citizen food distribution in Maverick County next week with the date, time, and location to be announced once it is decided.
