COVID UPDATE: Only one new case announced, free rapid testing coming to county

There was only one new case of COVID announced overnight for Milam County.

"Good news this evening as we only have one new confirmed case to report," Milam County Judge Steve Young said. "This has not happened in a long time. Also two people were released from the hospital and the one remaining is improving, albeit in serious condition." 

Milam County now has 333 confirmed cases of COVID with only 24 active. There are 11 probable cases and 51 individuals being monitored. Only one person remains in the hospital at this time. There have been three deaths from the virus in the county. 

Young also annouced on Wednesday that Milam County residents will now have access to rapid result testing for COVID through funding from the CARES Act.

The county and each municipality received COVID funds through the CARES Act by Texas Department of Emergency Management. The money is available to each entity by simply signing the required forms on the TDEM website. 

“We have discussed using some of these funds to provide free COVID rapid testing in the county,” Milam County Judge Steve Young said. “We can get the BD rapid test kits within two weeks or so and hopefully begin testing by Sept. 1, 2020.”

Young said that upon completion of the required form TDEM automatically deposits 20 percent of the designated funds into the account of the requesting entity and the remainder is received by a draw, after making the payment. Seventy-five percent of the allocated funds must be used for COVID related medical expenditures. The funds must be spent by Dec. 31, 2020. 

There will tentatively be a lab located in the old hospital building in Cameron, but testing would be done at each city. The kits would be brought back to the Cameron lab for processing and the patients would be notified that evening or the next morning. 

Young said the way that testing is currently going patients are not receiving results for at least a week, which is doing no good.

 “We plan to actually do the testing in various locations around the county, such as the fire stations in Thorndale, Rockdale, Milano, Gause, Cameron and Buckholts on a rotating basis,” he said. “The test results will be provided to the patient on the same day of the test or shortly thereafter. The tests will be administered free of charge to any Milam County resident who is symptomatic.” 

For the rest of the story pick up this week's edition of The Cameron Herald or Thorndale Champion.