(Seguin) – Guadalupe County officials say it might be time for a healthy transition when it comes to their reporting of COVID-19 cases here in the area.
Guadalupe County Commissioners on Tuesday discussed the possibility of turning citizens to the Texas Department of State Health Services website for their daily updates on positive cases here in the county and across the state. At the beginning of March, the county through its emergency management office, released the numbers on a daily basis. Those numbers later turned into reports three times a week.
Now, with the opening of more businesses across the state and a decline in COVID-19 cases, officials are looking to transition into modified reporting from here on out. That’s at least the potential plan according to Patrick Pinder, the county’s emergency management coordinator.
“I think using the department of state health services report is better to show the current numbers daily. With us using this chart that we are currently using, it’s two, three days behind. Like over the weekend, we had the five cases so we got that information Saturday and Sunday and Monday so that was three days late. If we get the state reports – the state reports does not come out Saturdays and Sundays but Monday through Friday, you have a state report that comes out and we get those by 5 or 5:30 p.m. every day,” said Pinder.
Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher says the intent of modifying the release of the reports goes hand in hand with the data that shows a decline in cases across the state.
“The intent is trying to transition away from everyday updates on COVID as was stated and posted by the governor’s office. You got the percentage of positive cases based off the number of people tested decreasing from 13 almost 14 percent now down to five, five and a half percent. It’s been a consistent downward trend in projections so we’re sitting there going do we need to continue to do this. Some people I know want to see a COVID update, report specific detailed information every day for as long as they possibly can but again, we continue to see a decrease in the state of Texas. Overall, more people recovered than active positive cases in Guadalupe County. We want to get that information out but again, I think it’s time to kind of transition away from that every day and every week. Let the state report that information. It will give good perspective to compare us within the region to some of those other counties. The folks can see that,” said Kutscher.
Commissioner Drew Engelke says he is thankful of how the county has handled this pandemic and looks forward to
continuing to heal.
“The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger, more openings, more people out and about. I think we’ve all noticed more traffic, more people. Again, the common sense, the positive attitudes have prevailed. I again thank you and your team for what you have done but overall I think Guadalupe County, the state of Texas, USA and the world are ready to get back to getting out and about and this Texas heat I think is going to take care of whatever is left as far as this virus goes,” said Engelke.
County officials also say that by limiting the regular reports of COVID, it also allows Pinder and his staff in the emergency management and fire marshal’s office to begin working with bars, taverns and other businesses in reopening their facilities.