During a Feb. 22 City Council meeting, New Braunfels Mayor Rusty Brockman announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

The mayor, who attended the meeting virtually, was one of 49 confirmed and probable cases of the coronavirus reported by Comal County on Feb. 23.

Since Feb. 15, the county has reported 80 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 8,911.

Due to winter weather conditions that impacted the area last week, case reporting was temporarily stalled as citizens were encouraged to stay home and county offices were closed.

The county has reported 15 new coronavirus-related deaths since Feb. 15, with the deaths having occurred between Jan. 21 and Feb. 21. The reported deaths included those of nine New Braunfels residents, three Spring Branch residents, one resident of Bulverde and two residents of Canyon Lake.

As of Feb. 23, the county has 364 active, confirmed cases.


As of Feb. 23, the molecular testing positivity rate was reported to be 73.80%, and the antigen testing positivity rate was reported to be 17.67%, as compared to 73.8% and 18.05%, respectively, as of Feb. 15.

Comal County hospitals reported caring for 32 COVID-19 patients as of Feb. 23, eight of whom are in intensive care and seven of whom are on ventilators.

Comal County also reported Feb. 23 that 59 county residents were hospitalized with the coronavirus, though not all county residents are hospitalized within county hospitals—up from the 53 residents who were hospitalized as of Feb. 15.

The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Trauma Service Area P was reported to take up 11.36% of total hospital capacity as of Feb. 23 and has remained below 15% since Feb. 12.

According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, Guadalupe County reported a total of 30 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases between Feb. 15-23, for a total of 12,571 confirmed and probable cases reported since March 16, 2020.

Of the reported cases, 94 are reportedly active as of Feb. 23. A total of 182 Guadalupe County deaths due to COVID-19 have been reported by the DSHS.


Residents who wish 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 Tuesdays and Fridays.

As vaccination efforts continue throughout the state, residents can contact their primary care provider, the Comal County Department of Public Health or the Guadalupe County Department of Emergency Management.