The Guadalupe County Emergency Management Department, the city of Seguin and the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center submitted a proposal Jan. 20 to the Department of State Health Services to create three vaccine hubs in the county with the capability of providing 1,000 vaccines per day.
Representatives of the joint effort received announced Feb. 1 that the Texas Department of State Health Services will be sending 5,000 doses, which will be administered to members of the community who qualify under Phases 1A and 1B of the state vaccination plan, according to a press release.
Vaccinations will be administered to eligible residents from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 3-5 at the Seguin Coliseum, located at 950 S. Austin St., Seguin.
Individuals may make an appointment through an online registration option, which will be available Feb. 2 at 9 a.m., or by calling the Guadalupe County COVID-19 Vaccine Call Center at 830-303-9701.
Walk-ins will not be accepted, but those who are not able to make an appointment may contact the Schertz COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at 210-619-1990 to make an appointment in Schertz.
Additional clinics will be announced as more vaccine becomes available and citizens can sign up to receive notifications about local vaccination opportunities through the Regional Emergency Alert Network.
Three additional health care providers in the county were allotted a total of 1,175 doses this week, bringing the county total to 11,350 doses since mid-December.
In Comal County, four registered facilities were allotted a total of 4,900 doses this week, bringing the county total since mid-December to 10,300 doses. The Comal County Office of Public Health received 4,000 of the week’s allocated doses and will administer the vaccines Feb. 3-4 in New Braunfels.
Cases continue to mount
The announcement of the growing availability of vaccines comes as Comal County and Guadalupe County continue to report new cases of COVID-19.
Since Jan. 25, Comal County has reported 571 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 8,144.
The county reported 16 new coronavirus-related deaths since Jan. 26, all of which occurred between Jan. 5-24. The reported deaths included nine residents of New Braunfels, two residents of Spring Branch and two residents of Canyon Lake. As of Feb. 1, the county has 620 active, confirmed cases and has reported a total of 7,269 recoveries.
As of Feb. 1, the molecular positivity rate was reported to be 44.34% and the antigen positivity rate was reported to be 5.90%, as compared to 45.37% and 5.50%, respectively, as of Jan. 25.
According to CCOPH Director Cheryl Fraser, the significant increase in molecular positivity has been attributed to fewer residents receiving molecular tests, as rapid antigen tests have become more widely available.
Comal County hospitals reported caring for 58 COVID-19 patients as of Feb. 1, 26 of whom are in intensive care and 15 are on ventilators.
Comal County also reported Feb. 1 that 94 county residents were hospitalized with the coronavirus, though not all county residents are hospitalized within county hospitals, up from 79 residents who were hospitalized on Jan. 25. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Trauma Service Area P was reported to be 19.45% of total hospital capacity as of Feb. 1, down from 23.98% as of Jan. 25. This marks the first day the rate has dipped below 20% since Jan. 1.
According to data from the DSHS, Guadalupe County reported a total of 1,660 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases between Jan. 25-31, for a total of 11,465 confirmed and probable cases reported since March 16. Of the reported cases, 722 are active as of Feb. 1. The DSHS has reported a total of 152 deaths and 10,591 recoveries since March in Guadalupe County.
Residents can view a list of vaccine providers on the DSHS website, and those individuals who wish be tested in Comal County 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 Tuesdays and Fridays. Residents can also utilize the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ online search tool to find a testing site.
