BELL COUNTY, Texas — Officials in Bell County reported the greatest COVID-19 case increase in any one day Thursday. The 140 new cases now bring the total cases in the county to 1,886. The positivity rate is now 6.8 percent. There are still 13 deaths in the county since the outbreak started. 518 patients have recovered.
There was also a strong possibility of more cases on the way. Bell County Public Health District Director Amanda Robison-Chadwell reported that there is a virus outbreak at Indian Oaks Living Center in Harker Heights, with five cases reported so far. Others in the facility are currently being tested.
Baylor Scott and White Director of Emergency Medicine Robert Greenberg said there is a concern that another spike is just around the corner after the 4th of July weekend.
"We have not yet seen the impact of the activities of the 4th of July weekend. We are very concerned based on reports of lack of physical distancing," Greenburg said. "Are we worried. Yes. Do we think we can manage it? Yes we do."
Greenburg said the best way people can stop the spread of COVID-19 right now is to practice effective social distancing.
Greenburg said Baylor Scott and White memorial hospital has 16 COVID-19 patients in the ICU and another 47 COVID-19 patients elsewhere in the hospital.
Baylor Scott and White's Dr. Karen Blanton Brust also said that the recent increase in cases can be traced back to social gatherings when patients were interviewed.
"Story from patients after patient was very much the same. There were people that got together for Father's Day dinners, barbecues, graduation parties," Brust said. "The majority of people, 80 percent plus, are not requiring hospital admission."
Brust said the public needs to think about other individuals who do not have symptoms as possibly infected and should take the appropriate precautions.
"There is no one magic bullet here," Brust said. "I really think it's layered efforts of prevention with physical distancing being the main thing."
Meanwhile, McLennan County reported the 15th COVID-19-related death in that county.
The patient was a 41-year-old, African American woman.
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