104 active COVID-19 cases in local communities

ACTIVE CASES: Right now, 104 cases are active. Castroville, Hondo, and Devine have the most active cases in Medina County. The number of active cases has increased by 11 over the past week since August 11th. The number of active cases has increased by 47 when looking at a two week time frame since August 4th. The county saw spikes in the number of positive tests on July 29th, Aug 5th and Aug 12th.
While the stress on the healthcare system is still rated as “High” according to STRAC, the “doubling time” indicator has improved and the SA area risk level indicator improved to moderate for the first time since a surge in cases began in June. San Antonio Metro Health’s Medical Director amended “School risk indicator remains on “High” as of this Tuesday, Aug 18th”.
Schools are set to re-open soon with in-person learning beginning in Devine (August 24th) and Medina Valley ISD (Aug 25th). Natalia and Hondo ISD have opted to begin online, but push back in-person classes until September after SA Metro Health issued a warning to schools. Natalia will begin in-person instruction Sept 7th for 50% of students who chose in-person learning, and then gradually all students who chose in-person classes will come to school the week of Sept 14th.
Medina County COVID-19 cases- past 30 days
Between July 17th and August 18th the total number of cases reported have more than doubled with 487 more COVID cases, 18 more deaths and 56 more hospitalizations reported in community members of Medina County. As of this Tuesday, August 18, Medina County has reported 844 total cases, 22 deaths, and 81 hospitalizations (this number is likely low due to failure to report all hospitalizations).
Medina County cases over past 2 weeks
The total number of COVID cases has almost doubled again in just the past two weeks alone, this August, with 392 cases, 9 deaths, and 47 hospitalizations reported in Medina County residents since August 1. Four deaths of community members were reported just the day before as well.

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Here’s a detailed report on how the number of COVID cases have climbed over the past few months:
March 17th, 2020—Medina County reports its first case of COVID-19 in a 57-year-old female who recently returned from travel abroad. This person is reported as being isolated and hospitalized at the time of report.
April 4th, 2020—Medina County reports its 4th case of COVID-19.
April 29th, 2020—Medina County reported a total of 20 cases and 2 deaths to COVID-19. At that time, 5 were considered Active cases.
May 4th—There were still 20 total cases, (4 active).
May 29th—There were an estimated 33 total cases in our community (2 active), or 72 total counting the prison offenders in local prison outbreak. The prison offenders are later removed from the charts released by the county.
June 4th—There were 81 total cases reported in county, with about half of those being community members (39), and 41 prison offenders. Only 4 active cases reported in community members.
June 29th—There were 132 total cases reported. PRISON offenders in prison outbreak no longer counted in county’s chart. There are 11 active cases in community, while 40 cases were still pending investigation.
July 1st—There were 132 cases total, but active cases increased to 19, with 9 still pending investigation, and the other 26 going straight into recovered section. There had been 2 deaths as of this date, and the number of hospitalizations was not reported on the county’s chart yet as of this date.
July 30th, 2020—There were 452 cases total (an increase of 320 this month), with 46 active cases reported, 13 deaths as of this date (an increase of 11), and 34 hospitalized as of this date.
August 3rd, 2020—There were 483 total cases reported, 60 are active, 15 deaths had occurred as of this date, and 45 hospitalizations counted.
August 11th, 2020—There were 667 total cases, with 93 active, number of deaths climbed to 21, and 53 hospitalizations were reported as of this date.
August 18th, 2020—844 total cases reported in county, 104 ACTIVE, 22 deaths had been reported, and the number of hospitalizations reported in county residents nearly doubled to 81 hospitalizations reported as of this date.
This is a hospitalization rate near 9.6%, meaning nearly 1 in every 10 COVID patients reported, have reported being hospitalized. However, we know there are other variables, such as those who are never tested for COVID, and also the number of hospitalizations is hard for our county to track as not all hospitalizations are reported unless family members give the county that information. This number does not include numbers of the prison outbreak as they are no longer reported in the county chart.
By Kayleen Holder
Editor