CENTRAL, Texas — Editor's Note: This story will be continuously updated.
All case, recovery and death updates can be found here: Central Texas COVID-19 recoveries, cases, deaths | Live updates
Previous Central Texas coronavirus updates: Central Texas COVID-19 Live Updates: Waco EOS addresses social media 'pranks' | Bell County reports third death
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
4:00 P.M.
The Bell County Health District increased the number of positive cases to 103. That's three more than Tuesday.
53 have recovered and three have died.
3:45 P.M.
On Friday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will announce a plan to eventually reopen the Texas economy, the governor's office has confirmed to KENS 5's sister station in Austin.
Gov. Abbott previously said the state is working with the White House on the process and any reopening would have to be gradual. The expected executive order will discuss "how we're going to go about this process of opening up businesses, and that must include the appropriate medical strategies to make sure that we are not going to be increasing the spread of the coronavirus," Abbott said.
The patients who have died have all been men. Three were in their 60s. One was in his 40s, according to the health district.
However, there were no new cases reported Wednesday, leaving the total at 74.
11:30 A.M.
The Brazos County Health District reported two new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 151.
Of those cases, eight remain hospitalized. 38 have recovered.
No new deaths were reported Wednesday.
10:15 A.M.
Bosque County reported its first COVID-19 case Wednesday morning, according to a release provided by Goodall-Witcher Healthcare in Clifton.
Goodall-Witcher said they did not perform the test and do not have any other information on the case.
9:00 A.M.
Coryell County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Harrell confirmed the county had its first death from COVID-19.
The victim was a man in his 70s who died on April 9. He was the second reported case in the county.
A press release from County Judge Roger Miller and the Office of Emergency Management Wednesday morning said the total number of positive cases went from 18 to 43.
But a second release sent around 2 p.m. showed the number of positive cases in the county was 60.
The number includes 22 active cases, 4 recovered and 33 Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmates.
The number of inmates does not match the number of positive cases listed on the TDCJ website, according to the county.
TDCJ was reporting 26 positive cases in the Murray Unit and 11 cases in the Woodman unit in Gatesville.
The Texas Department of State Health Services' website was also reporting 60.
TDCJ Communications Specialist Jeremy Desel said Wednesday it reports its cases first to the DSHS.
"We report our cases as soon as confirmed to DSHS," Desel said. "Secondarily, we will also report them to counties. We update them once a day. Those are the most accurate numbers that exist."
"We have from the beginning and continue to take all precautions. We are following specific CDC guidelines specific to correctional environments. It is our focus to not only protect our employees and offenders as much as possible from this virus but to protect the greater community as well."
Miller said his top concern is the prison system.
"The TDCJ prison system in Gatesville presents the greatest threat for infection and cross contamination for residents throughout the county," Miller said.
2,500 employees work within the prison system.
Read more about the discrepancy here.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 14
6:45 P.M.
Free childcare is being offered for essential workers at Kidscare in Copperas Cove.
There are only 10 openings left. IF you are an essential worker that needs childcare, there is a very short questionnaire to fill out to qualify.
Kidscare is a licensed child care provider for ages four to 12. They are open 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and located at 206 Laura St. Copperas Cove.
Kidscare uses heightened cleaning and distancing rules put in place for COVID-19 in accordance to the Texas Health and Human Services (THHS).
KidsCare staff has passed all state licensing requirements and are governed by the state; i.e. Childcare Training required by State licensing, FBI background check, fingerprint screening, & drug screening!
For any questions, call Kidscare care at 254-518-8154.
1:30 P.M.
Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver and the city council extended the city's disaster order to April 30.
McLennan County Commissioners also extended the disaster declaration Tuesday in their meeting Tuesday morning.
9:30 A.M.
North Texas has surpassed 100 deaths related to coronavirus after Tarrant County announced four deaths Tuesday morning.
Tarrant County health officials say they now have 29 confirmed deaths related to coronavirus.
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said health officials will announce Tuesday that 10 more people have died from COVID-19 -- the highest number of single-day deaths reported in the county. That announcement brings the total to 105 deaths in North Texas.
9 A.M.
Hundreds of cars lined up at Waco Independent School District Stadium for a free food distribution drive-thru organized by Central Texas Food Bank and its network of mobile food pantries.
The event went from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday.
People received two emergency food boxes each, one containing shelf-stable items and the other containing frozen items.
Top National Headlines
- The worldwide number of coronavirus cases is likely to reach 2 million Tuesday. The U.S. total may reach 600,000 with a death toll of more than 25,000 Tuesday.
- Tokyo Olympics organizers say they have no backup plan beyond holding the Games in July 2021.
- Some meat processing plants have closed as workers get sick, increasing concerns about a meat shortage in the U.S.
MONDAY, APRIL 13
5:45 P.M.
Governor Greg Abbott announced on March 25 that Texas received a $16.2 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living to help communities provide meals for older adults.
The grant was part of a $250 million dollar outlay authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, signed into law by President Trump on March 18.
Funding in the amount of $304,295 was allocated to the Central Texas Area Agencies on Aging for seniors residing in Bell, Coryell, Hamilton, Lampasas, Milam, Mills, and San Saba Counties.
The home-delivered meals are for seniors age 60 and older impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seniors that request these meals should contact Hill Country Community Action at 866-372-5167 x 227 or 325-372-5167 x227 to begin the intake process.
For additional information about home-delivered meals in Central Texas, contact:
- Counties: Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Leon, Madison, Robertson and Washington) contact: Brazos Valley Area Agency on Aging 1-800-994-4000 or 979-595-2806 Ext. 5
- Counties: Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, Travis, and Williamson contact: Capital Area Agency on Aging 1-888-622-9111 or 512-916-6054
- Counties: Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan contact: Heart of Texas Area Agency on Aging 1-855-937-2372 or 254-292-1855
3:00 P.M.
Oncor announced $1.7 million in donations to community non-profit organizations across their service territory that serve those who are most affected by the pandemic. Funding will focus on first responders, health care professionals and vulnerable or heavily impacted people, such as seniors, children, homeless and low-income or displaced workers and families.
“For more than 100 years, Oncor has upheld our commitment of serving and supporting Texas communities. And while we know firsthand how resilient these communities are, we also recognize the unparalleled impact of this pandemic and the challenges our communities and nonprofit partners are now facing, " Oncor CEO Allen Nye said. "We are honored to do our part in helping to meet these needs through the donations announced today.”
A large portion of Oncor’s support will be through participation in North Texas Cares, a funder collaborative made up of North Texas foundations and United Ways that have come together to provide support for organizations that work with people and communities who are most negatively affected by COVID-19.
Other recipients include Paul Quinn College, the Tarrant County Food Bank and North Texas Food Bank, and additional local nonprofit organizations across Oncor’s service territory in West, Central and East Texas. The commitment includes $500,000 from Sempra Energy, Oncor’s indirect majority owner, through the Nonprofit Hardship Fund from the Sempra Energy Foundation.
1:15 P.M.
The number of people reported to have tested positive for COVID-19 in Bell County will vary depending on whether or not the person lives on Fort Hood, according to Dr. Amanda Robison-Chadwell with the Bell County Health District.
Chadwell said they only release the numbers of people not on post. As of Monday afternoon, that number was 97.
However, the Texas Department of State Health Services was reporting 101 positive cases in Bell County.
Chadwell the additional people would have come from Fort Hood because they report their cases directly to the state.
Chris Haug with Fort Hood said anyone living in on-post housing who tests positive have their cases reported through the Department of Defense.
11:30 A.M.
Gov. Greg Abbot announced small businesses in Texas would be eligible for $50 million on loans.
Abbott was joined by John Waldron, President and COO of Goldman Sachs. Waldron said the $50 million was part of a larger $550 million loan program the company started around the country.
The governor was also joined by Janie Barrera, president and CEO of LiftFund. LiftFund is an organization with public and private partnerships to assist small businesses.
According to Barrera, applications for the program will be going live on April 13 at www.liftfund.com.
Abbott said he planned to issue an executive order later in the week to safely reopen Texas for business. He said an announcement on schools would also come later in the week.
Abbott said only businesses that could operate without compromising social distancing would open.
A total of 287 people had died in the state and 2,069 people were hospitalized, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
A total of 133,226 people have been tested with 13,827 positive cases.
11:00 A.M.
Brazos County reported its 12th death to coronavirus. The health district also reported three new cases bringing the total in the county to 143.
29 people have recovered. Nine people remained hospitalized.
8:30 A.M.
Gov. Greg Abbott will announce a "small business initiative" at 11:30 a.m. from the Capitol. His office did not release any other details.
Over the weekend, he extended the stat's disaster declaration to secure resources to fight against COVID-19.
6:30 A.M.
The Internal Revenue Service announced over Easter weekend the first coronavirus stimulus checks, were already being deposited into some taxpayers' bank accounts.
Millions of Americans should have received their checks by Wednesday.
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
4:15 P.M.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District reported two new cases of COVID-19 in the county.
The total number of cases is now 71.
A total of 36 cases have recovered while 106 people are being actively monitored. That number includes both positive cases and their close contacts.
11:00 A.M.
The Brazos County Public Health District reported its 11th death from COVID-19. They said it was a woman in her 80s.
The total number of positive cases in the county was 140.
Bell County also reported an additional seven positive cases, bringing the total to 91.
Three people have died in Bell County. 25 people have recovered.
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SATURDAY, APRIL 11
6:50 P.M.
The Refuge Mobile Food Pantry will be stopping by at the Christian House of Prayer in Killeen next Saturday, April 18 from 9-11 a.m.
The mobile food pantry will be providing free "healthy and nutritional food" to community members.
Christian House of Prayer is located at 3300 E. Stan Schlueter Loop in Killeen.
5:30 P.M.
In a statement from the City of Copperas Cove, the city indicted that there has been a discrepancy in the 34 reported COVID-19 cases in the county.
The post said Coryell County Judge Roger Miller is working with the Texas Department of State Health Services to reconcile the count.
The actual number of cases in the county, as reported by Copperas Cove, is 20 and not 34.
The city said this after three more Copperas Cove residents tested positive for COVID-19, making the city case total 12.
The three new Copperas Cove cases are:
- A male in his 60s
- A male in his 30s
- A males in his 40s
3:10 P.M.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District reported one new cases of COVID-19 in the county, bringing the total number of cases to 69.
The newly reported case is a person over 60, according to the public health district.
Of those cases, five remain hospitalized with three in critical condition.
36 cases have recovered while 106 cases are being actively monitored. The number of cases being monitored included positive cases and their close contacts.
No new deaths have been reported in McLennan County, leaving the total number of deaths at two.
12:00 P.M.
The Brazos County Health District reported an additional 18 positive cases and one death.
The county now has 134 total cases. 27 have recovered.
11:45 A.M.
The number of positive cases jumped to 34 Saturday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Coryell County reported 18 cases Friday. DSHS was not reporting any deaths in the county.
The total number of cases in Texas was 12,561.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 10
5:10 P.M.
Coryell County reported four new COVID-19 cases this afternoon, bringing the total to 18 cases now, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services coronavirus tracker.
4:50 P.M.
Two Killeen police officers tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Killeen Police Department.
To protect their privacy, no further details will be released related to their current status.
The City is following CDC recommendations for the handling of potential exposure of other employees, according to the Killeen PD.
Those recommendations continue to evolve, so specifics including the number of quarantined employees, their work status, etc. will not be disclosed.
4:30 P.M.
The City of Mexia is implementing a city-wide curfew during the hours of 10 p.m. until 5 a.m.
This order will be affecting beginning April 11 at 10 p.m. This curfew will expire April 15 unless otherwise revised or extended.
3:50 P.M.
Limestone County Judge Richard Duncan released a letter indicating that 12 of the county's 19 COVID-19 cases are Hispanic community members living in Mexia.
"I have always had a special place in my heart for the Hispanic community," he said in the letter. "Most of the Hispanic community are the most loyal and hard-working citizens in our county. I now must tell you that I am worried about the health of our Hispanic friends."
He went on to urge community members to call upon friends and churches as well as city and community officials as Duncan said he realizes "that many of you don't get paid if you don't work."
In the letter, Duncan also asked that churches suspend in-person meetings if they are still hosting them.
3:15 P.M.
Gov. Greg Abbott said he's developing an executive order with guidelines for re-opening Texas businesses in an afternoon press conference.
The executive order, he said, is expected to be enacted next week and will look at how to restart the state's economy in a safe manner.
3:10 P.M.
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District reported two new cases of COVID-19 Friday afternoon. The total number of cases is 68.
Of those cases six remain hospitalized, while five are in critical condition.
36 cases have recovered and 106 people are being actively monitored. The 106 include positive cases and their close contacts.
No new deaths were reported Friday afternoon, leaving the total number of coronavirus-related deaths at two.
11:40 A.M.
The Brazos County Health District reported two new cases of COVID-19 in the county late Friday morning.
That brings the total to 116 cases in the county.
Of those cases, 11 are currently hospitalized while a total of 27 cases have recovered.
No new deaths were reported today, leaving the number of deaths at nine.
11:30 A.M.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will have a live update on the state's response to the coronavirus at 2 p.m. today.
11:00 A.M.
Senate Democrats are proposing essential workers receive a raise for working through the coronavirus pandemic.
Democrats propose that healthcare workers, along with grocery store and transit employees, receive as much as $25,000 in hazard pay from the federal government.
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