BELL COUNTY, Texas — Update: 1:30 p.m.
Bell County Judge David Blackburn said four inmates in the Bell County jail tested positive for COVID-19.
Blackburn said the first patient, who he called patient zero, was booked into the jail on May 20. He was placed in the infirmary on May 29 after informing jail staff a family member had contracted the virus.
The patient was sent to the ER on June 3 after showing symptoms, Blackburn said, where a test for COVID-19 came back positive.
The inmate was sent back to the jail the same day but placed in quarantine.
Blackburn said the three other patients tested positive on June 7 and June 8.
All of the patients were placed under quarantine. Blackburn said they were all housed in section B1-A.
Director of the Bell County Public Health District Amanda Robinson-Chadwell reiterated her concern that the increasing number of cases was likely due to people not wearing masks and following social distancing guidelines.
Update: June 12, 12 p.m.
The Bell County Public Health District reported an additional 26 cases of COVID-19 Friday afternoon, bringing the total to 554 in the county.
The 26 cases follow the largest single-day increase of 32 on Thursday.
Since June 8, the health district has confirmed 116 additional cases.
The positivity rate increased to 2.67%. Six people have died and 245 have recovered.
Bell County Judge and Health District Director Amanda Robison-Chadwell planned to have a weekly update on coronavirus at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 11
The Bell County Public Health District reported 32 new COVID-19 cases Thursday bringing the total in the county to 528.
The increase is the largest single-day jump since the county started tracking coronavirus.
Chadwell also said Park Place Manor nursing home in Temple was mass tested by the state with some of the results coming back Thursday.
Chadwell said one person tested positive. 85 tests were negative and 136 tests were pending.
The county has seen 123 cases in the last week beginning June 5.
The health district has administered 20,491 tests putting the positivity rate at roughly 2.57%. The positivity rate is a measure of how many people have tested positive compared to the number of tests.
Six people have died of the virus and 245 have recovered.
Chadwell told 6 News on Tuesday there were several factors leading up to the increase.
Chadwell said there has been an increase in cases simply due to the reopenings and gatherings in the county.
She said as people return to hospitals for elective procedures they are automatically getting tested. Chadwell said hospital staff are finding people with no symptoms are testing positive for the virus.
Chadwell also said there are concerns that citizens under 50 have been too complacent about safety. Testing data shows most people testing positive for COVID-19 are between the ages of 20 and 59 while older individuals make up a smaller portion of cases.
"The 32 new cases today can be attributed to several factors including, more gatherings occurring, complacency following masking and social distancing recommendations, and more frequent testing in healthcare settings," Chadwell said.
Chadwell said the high count on Thursday can be linked, in part, to a cluster of 10 cases associated with a Destiny World Outreach Center in Killeen.
"I’m concerned people are bored and complacent about COVID-19. As much as most of us really want this virus to go away, we really do need to continue to be vigilant. Early efforts to stop the spread helped. If we go back to that same level of vigor with handwashing, masking, and social distancing, we will likely see the numbers level out again, though I do not expect the numbers to drop as low as they were in April or early May," Chadwell said.
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