Maverick County Gains Seven Positive COVID-19 Cases, Totaling 52 Cases as of May 13, 2020
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
Maverick County Emergency Operations Committee Volunteer, Denise Nemeth, PA-C, announced at a joint press conference between the City of Eagle Pass and Maverick County on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, that a total of seven new people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maverick County, Texas, raising the total number of positive COVID-19 cases to 52 in the community.
Nemeth stated that a total of 1,015 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Maverick County with 698 negative results, 52 positive results, 265 awaiting results, 13 recovered people, and no fatalities as of May 13, 2020.
Maverick County Judge David R. Saucedo provided an update to Maverick Countians regarding the County and City of Eagle Pass’s “disdain” with Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center refusal to test some people from the community with one or more COVID-19 symptoms at their Emergency Room and forcing these people to seek testing elsewhere only to find out that they were positive for COVID-19 and possibly infecting other people within the community with the lethal virus.
County Judge Saucedo stated that the County and City had been holding negotiations with the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center’s Administration all day today (Wednesday, May 13, 2020) to hopefully come up with an agreement to test Maverick County residents with COVID-19 symptoms at its Emergency Room. Saucedo added that the County and City had presented the only hospital in the county with a proposed agreement or order and given the hospital until 10 P.M. today to come up with an agreement. Saucedo noted that in the absence of the parties reaching an agreement by 10 P.M. today, the County will serve Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center with an Order taking over its Emergency Room operations concerning the testing of people for COVID-19.
Judge Saucedo elaborated that this is something the County does not want to do, but that it is prepared to go forward in order to protect the health and safety of all residents in Maverick County. Saucedo added that this situation is “embarrassing for me” and “it is pathetic the way they (Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center) are operating.” Saucedo pointed out that if Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center “does not give Maverick County something that we can agree with by 10 P.M. today, then they will be served.”
Negotiations between Maverick County and the City of Eagle Pass with Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center are expected to continue until 10 P.M. today, if necessary. Maverick Countians anxiously await the result of the parties negotiations today by 10 P.M.
