Between Dec. 14-21, Comal County has reported 484 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 5,760. Five new deaths have also been reported since Dec. 14, all of which were New Braunfels residents, marking 141 total deaths in the county. The deaths were that of a man in his 70s who died Nov. 26, a man in his 60s who died Dec. 12, a woman in her 70s who died Dec. 11, a woman in her 80s who died Dec. 12 and a man in his 70s who died Dec. 1.

As of Dec. 21, the county has 773 active, confirmed cases.

On Dec. 16, Comal County announced seven-day positivity rates would be split into two categories: molecular and antigen positivity.

The molecular positivity rate calculates the percentage of positive PCR tests reported to the county, and antigen positivity calculates the percentage of positive antigen tests reported to the county.

As of Dec. 21, the molecular positivity rate was reported to be 17.13%, and the antigen positivity rate was reported to be 17.92%.

The county’s overall positivity rate had remained above 20% since Dec. 4, when it was 20.46%. On Dec. 21, Comal County hospitals reported caring for 65 COVID-19 patients, 16 of which are in intensive care and nine are on ventilators.

Comal County also reported 40 county residents are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus, though not all county residents are hospitalized within county hospitals, down from 51 residents who were hospitalized Dec. 11. According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Guadalupe County reported a total of 448 new confirmed cases between Dec. 15-21, for a total of 5,376 confirmed cases since March 16. The county has also reported a total of 995 probable cases since the beginning of the pandemic for a total of 6,371 confirmed and probable cases.

Of reported cases, 490 are active, and a total of 100 Guadalupe County deaths have been reported to the DSHS. On Dec. 17, Guadalupe Regional Medical Center reported caring for 26 coronavirus patients.

Comal ISD and New Braunfels ISD have been reporting symptomatic cases as well as incidents of exposure to a case since the beginning of the school year.

Exposure to a COVID-19 case includes being directly exposed to fluids from the mouth or nose or being within 6 feet for 15 minutes or more without a face covering.

On Dec. 18, NBISD reported 44 current cases, 68 symptomatic cases and 540 exposures to a lab-confirmed case, up from 470 as of Dec. 14. A total of 174 confirmed cases have been reported in NBISD: 113 students and 48 staff members.

CISD will not report cases among students and staff during the winter break, which began Dec. 18 and will conclude Jan. 4.

Residents wishing to be tested can call the county’s hotline at 830-221-1120 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule an appointment. Testing is conducted on Tuesday and Friday.

Residents can also utilize the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ online search tool to find a testing site.