Third Week of August 2020 Adds Eight COVID-19 Fatalities and 395 New Confirmed Positive COVID-19 Cases, Bringing Cumulative Total to 74 Fatalities and 3,168
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2020
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The deadly novel coronavirus thrives in Maverick County, Texas as it claimed the lives of at least eight dearly beloved citizens and infected another 395 citizens during the third week of August of 2020, according to COVID-19 reports issued by the joint Eagle Pass and Maverick County Emergency Operations Center.
Total numbers in Maverick County for the first three weeks of August 2020 shows 35 fatalities due to COVID-19 and 1,179 new confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, averaging 1.66 deaths per day and 56.14 new positive confirmed COVID-19 cases per day during the first 21 days of August 2020. The lethal virus does not discriminate on who it infects and kills. Everyone is its potential target.
On Monday, August 17, 2020, the Emergency Operations Center reported three new fatalities due to COVID-19, 90 new confirmed positive cases, and a high positivity rate of 21.3%
On Tuesday, August 18, 2020, Maverick County reported no new fatalities, but did cite 62 new confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and an increase of the positivity rate to 21.6 percent.
On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, Maverick County reported two new fatalities due to COVID-19, a surge of 162 new confirmed positive cases, and a significant increase of the positivity rate to 22.2%.
On Thursday, August 20, 2020, Maverick County reported three new fatalities due to COVID-19, 30 new confirmed positive cases, and a positivity rate of 22.2%.
On Friday, August 21, 2020, Maverick County reported no new deaths, but did cite 51 new confirmed positive COVID-19 cases and the positivity rate increased to 22.3%.
Not reported on Friday, August 21, totals was the tragic death of former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Lucas Saucedo because he passed away in a San Antonio, Texas hospital and that facility had not reported his death to Maverick County before the end of closing the statistics at 3 P.M. If it were to be counted, it would actually be nine fatalities during the third week of August. But it will be counted during the fourth week of August.
Maverick County reported on Friday, August 21, a total of 14,613 people tested for COVID-19 with a cumulative total of 3,168 positive results, 11,003 negative results, 442 pending results, 754 active cases, 2,340 recovered people, 74 fatalities, 45 currently hospitalized patients, and a whopping 22.3% positivity rate.
Pending to be tested in Maverick County are all the home health providers, estimated to be 2,000, all the jail inmates at the Maverick County Tom Bowles Detention Center, all the clients of the adult day care centers, all the clients of the adult nutrition centers, and all the students, teachers, and staff of the Eagle Pass Independent School District.
In addition, all of the residents and staff of the three nursing home and rehabilitation centers need retesting. Texas just required that all child care centers to report all COVID-19 infections of children and staff to the state as well as all public school districts like the Eagle Pass Independent School District to report all COVID-19 infections or cases to the state.
Public health experts note that the actual, true number of total COVID-19 infections is much higher than actually reported by public health authorities or governmental agencies.
Despite efforts by Maverick County public officials to inform, educate, and assist local citizens to follow the CDC Guidelines, Maverick Countians have not had much success in slowing the community spread of COVID-19 as evident by the statistics reported in this article, noting there are 10 more reporting days remaining in the month of August 2020.
