City faced with first COVID death
By Melinda L. Lucas
Although the official report from the Texas Department of State Health Services does not yet reflect it, Albany experienced its first COVID-related death last week, a man in his 60s, reportedly with no underlying health conditions.
“Any death of a citizen is tragic, but this forces us to see firsthand the severe threat of this virus,” said Albany mayor Susan Montgomery. “We are so saddened by this death of an Albany resident. Once again, please be a good citizen and neighbor and do everything to protect to yourself and others.”
Shackelford County judge Robert Skelton said Tuesday that the latest TDSHS data indicates an increase of 10 cases for a total of 136 cumulative cases county-wide since March. However, there are only seven active cases according to the data, which is known to be several weeks old.
Jera Fairley at the Shackelford County Health Clinic said that there were nine new positive cases tested at the clinic on Monday and Tuesday mornings of this week, with only one negative test administered before press time on Wednesday.
SCHC providers Travis Wilburn and Claire Ware told hospital district board members at a meeting on Tuesday afternoon that they have used about half of the rapid tests that they received in November. Since they are skeptical that more tests can be obtained, they are testing only those who are actually symptomatic, along with high risk patients known to have been exposed. Asymptomatic patients and those who need negative tests to return to work are often sent to Stephens Memorial Hospital’s testing center so that the remaining SCHC tests can be conserved for those who need them.
The local clinic has had its molecular testing equipment since Nov. 2. Over the six weeks, 226 tests have been given. Of those, 52 have been positive.
Results are usually obtained in less than 10 minutes, said Wilburn. Results from the Breckenridge hospital come back in less than 24 hours.
Skelton stated Tuesday that there are as many as 15 active cases still in isolation in Shackelford County based on the clinic reports, but that the county continues to qualify for an exemption from occupancy reductions and other state mandates because the official numbers are less than 20.
