Popular Categories


Medina County virus count grows to 50, Zavala up to 10


Uvalde area steady at six, all recovered

Julye Keeble

Staff writer

Neighboring Medina County officials reported 10 more cases of COVID-19 in prisoners, bringing the total to 32 Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmates and three staff members at the Ruben M. Torres Unit in Hondo.

Medina County has now had 60 known confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, including the first case reported in a long-term care facility on May 15 at the Medina Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center in Castroville.

Uvalde County has not had a new known case of COVID-19 since April 8, and all six cases in the county have recovered.

As of yesterday, Medina County officials are reporting five active cases in the county, excluding the 32 inmates and the one facility resident; 20 patients have been categorized as recovered; and there have been two deaths from the coronavirus.

In the Hondo area, the 32 inmates and 14 other cases in community members have been reported; four, including the facility resident, have been in the Castroville area; two each in La Coste and Natalia; and one case in D’Hanis, Devine, Yancey, Lytle, and the Northeast and Far East areas of Medina County.

One patient was hospitalized, five cases likely occurred due to close contact, seven of the cases are believed to be travel related and and 13 cases were community transmitted, with the prison staff and inmates cases being isolated into their own categories by Medina County officials.

The first known case of coronavirus was reported in Medina County on March 17.

Zavala County

Zavala County commissioners have closed the crossing between La Pryor and Uvalde, in the county-owned park section which includes the area under the bridge, due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the county. There are currently 10 reported cases, with nine active and one listed as recovered.

Zavala County officials report that there have been 531 tests for the coronavirus performed as of Wednesday morning, including at mobile testing sites manned by the National Guard, with 100 people testing negative and 423 results pending.

The commissioners’ court noted anyone caught going around the closed off entrance to access the river will be issued a citation, and their vehicle will be towed.

The Crystal City Independent School District announced it would be resuming meal service for children Monday after having suspended service May 8 after a school employee tested positive for coronavirus.

City and county officials have approved the resumption of service, which will be held at the central kitchen from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Seven coronavirus patients reside in Crystal City, and transmission is believed to be travel related for four of the cases. The first known case of COVID-19 in Zavala County was reported on April 15, and that patient has now recovered.

jkeeble@ulnnow.com, 830-278-3335

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.