An unspecified number of local Medina County residents are being tested for the COVID-19, according to officials, and Medina County should have results of those tests soon.
We spoke with Medina County Emergency Manager Keith Lutz this Monday for updates.
“I do know we have residents who are being tested, and we should just start getting those results back in the next few days. It’s a 3-5 day wait to get those results back, and I am sure the situation will continue to escalate everywhere as we begin testing more and more,” Lutz said.
Medina County officials announced their knowledge of the first confirmed case in a local resident last Tuesday, and stated that they were running down answers on related cases. They have determined that only one was is a Medina County resident. The related case is a Bexar County resident who came to pick up the local resident and take her to the hospital. It appears that the Bexar County resident acquired the COVID from her during that short car ride.
“That just goes to show us how contagious this virus really is. If you are in a car or house or anywhere else with someone who is sick with these kind of symptoms, and you think you may have been exposed, you need to think about that and avoid exposing anyone else for the rest of the incubation period (which is 14 days),” Lutz said.
Lutz wanted to point out that the drive-thru testing site in San Antonio is accessible to local residents.
“You can get tested at the drive-thru testing site, as long as you get an order from your doctor first,” Lutz said Monday. “I know they have been really busy, and ran out of tests on Saturday, but they are back up and running again today. They were only able to order something like 200 tests at a time. I can appreciate what authorities are doing by metering the amount of tests sent out to those who need it the most. Unlike with a tornado or a hurricane or other disasters, this is affecting every place across the US, so it’s a balancing act to get tests out, for sure. ”
He urges parents and families to heed warnings.
“We need to make sure everyone stays home, including our kids–don’t gather in groups or family reunions, etc. There’s no difference between being exposed to 30 people at a family reunion than being exposed to 30 people in a bar or restaurant. I hope that by seeing the actions of our President and governor, that people realize the seriousness of this,” Lutz said.
He also wants to remind people not to panic buy.
“Please take a few deep breaths and lay off buying out the stores,” Lutz said. “The reality is if you do come down with the COVID and get quarantined, you are going to end up with more food and toilet paper and supplies dropped off on your porch than you know what to do with. We’ve seen that in our community over and over again. We are all gonna take care of each other. That’s what we do in small communities like ours.”
In closing thoughts, Lutz stated, “Sometimes we are forced to just stop and be still. That’s what is happening right now. I think we should all take a minute to think about that and just enjoy our families at home.”
