COMAL COUNTY, Texas — Comal County leaders are urging families to stay home as they announce the 12th positive case of the novel coronavirus in the communtity.
New Braunfels is under a stay home, work safe order while the county has asked for voluntary compliance.
So far, five people have recovered from the coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Comal County. There are still two patients hospitalized and three isolated at home. Two people who tested positive for the virus have died.
On Wednesday, the Comal County Office of Public Health updated its testing numbers. So far, 173 tests have been conducted; while 12 came back positive, 107 were negative and another 54 have pending results.
Based on the numbers they’ve released, Comal County receives, on average, 10 test results each business day.
The number of new people being tested fluctuates but can be twice as many as the test results coming in.
In the most recent coronavirus case, health officials haven’t been able to determine how the patient got sick. Cheryl Fraser, public health director, said that while they had recently traveled outside of the country, the duration of time between that trip and when the patient began showing symptoms "makes it difficult" to nail down whether the virus entered their system overseas or in Texas.
"Regardless, it remains essential that everyone in Comal County stay home, if at all possible, and help stop the spread of COVID-19," Fraser said.
County Judge Sherman Krause issued guidelines for the community on Friday.
Compliance in the county is voluntary so far.
However, Krause says that, if there’s not enough voluntary response or if there’s a continued risk to health and safety, then additional targeted mandatory mitigation strategies will be implemented.