Galveston County has reported an additional 298 coronavirus cases since June 22, with the case count totaling 2,266 as of June 24.
The county passed the 1,000-case mark in early June—meaning the number of cases has doubled in about two weeks. A new highest daily positive case count was reached June 24, when the county reported 226 cases.
The case count total includes outbreaks at four nursing homes in League City and Texas City, which account for roughly 20% of the total cases in each city. Cases were reported at an average rate of more than 130 a day between June 22 and June 24.
The county has had 736 recoveries and 40 deaths since mid-March. No new deaths have been reported since June 11.
Galveston County also began reporting antibody test results in mid-June. A total of 988 people have received antibody testing thus far, with all but 15 of those people testing negative.
Here is other coronavirus-related news for Bay Area residents to know for the week of June 22.
6:15 p.m. June 24: Clear Creek ISD is preparing to open its schools in the fall with coronavirus-related restrictions, the details of which are being worked out by the board of trustees and the Safely Reopen CCISD Committee. Guidelines released by the Texas Education Agency on June 23 indicate that school districts must offer some form of on-campus instruction during the 2020-21 school year. For more coverage, click here.
3:15 p.m. June 24: Jill Weatherhead, an infectious disease and tropical medicine expert with the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, said face coverings are a crucial part of the puzzle in slowing the spread of the coronavirus, especially in areas where social distancing of six feet cannot easily be maintained. Click here to read the full interview.
10 p.m. June 23: The Harris County Public Health Department and the Houston Health Department combined to confirm 1,374 new cases of COVID-19 June 23 along with three deaths. Single day totals of new cases have exceeded 1,100 in Harris County in four of the last five days as test results come in from a backlog of tests conducted earlier in June. For more coverage, click here.
6 a.m. June 23: Due to COVID-19 exposure among library staff members, Helen Hall Library is implementing revised hours, capacity, and protocols starting June 24. Read the revised procedures here.
3 p.m. June 22: As Texans see an uptick in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations related to the virus, Gov. Greg Abbott announced no new restrictions for businesses and gatherings in the state during a June 22 press conference. For more coverage, click here.
