May 27, 2020 656 PM
LAST UPDATED 6/13 11:30 a.m.
TIMELY UPDATES:
(6/13 11:23 a.m.)
Brewster County this morning announced the confirmation of six new coronavirus cases, bringing their total to 7. The new cases include a male in his 60s, a female in her 30s, a female in her 50s, a female in her 40s, a male in his teens and a male in his 50s. The cause of transmission is under investigation for four of the cases, with the last two being considered “person-to-person transmission with one of the above cases.”
All are self isolating at home. Brewster County’s first case, announced on 4/30, has recovered.
Tri-county confirmed case count:
Presidio County: 2 confirmed
Brewster County: 7 recovered
Jeff Davis County: 0 confirmed
Tri-county area physicians have said there are presumed positive cases in the region, as some cases which doctors assume are coronavirus are not being tested. Texas continues to be one of the worst-ranked states for testing per capita.
Nearby counties’ case counts:
Pecos: 107
Reeves: 12
Ward: 4
Crane: 32
Ector: 227
Midland: 194
Hudspeth: 12
El Paso: 3,695
Val Verde: 21
At least 1,939 Texans have died from the virus, 83,680 have tested positive for COVID-19 and around 1.4 million people in the state have been tested. We are staying in regular contact with health authorities, schools, businesses and other officials and will update regularly, with timestamps for time-sensitive updates.
Here’s what else we know. You can also use the links below to skip to the relevant section:
Information from local, state and federal authorities
Schools, churches and non-governmental institutions
INFORMATION FROM LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL AUTHORITIES
Local
(6/9 3:00 p.m.)
Presidio County officials said “the probability exists of possible spread” of coronavirus in Marfa after officials said one confirmed patient and four “probables” in Marfa were “not respecting control measures.” Those individuals on Tuesday, 6/9 received an order from the state requiring them to quarantine. The Big Bend Sentinel will provide more information as we get it.
(6/5 4:00 p.m.)
Presidio County has announced a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in Marfa today. The case is a male in his 40s who has recently traveled to multiple nearby cities that have coronavirus outbreaks. The man is quarantining with four other family members and the state is treating the situation as one positive and four “probables.” The regional office of the Department of State Health Services has already begun contact tracing to determine whether the family has had contact with anyone who would need to be alerted.
It is the second confirmed case in Presidio County, with the first being a woman in Presidio, confirmed on May 23.
(5/23 3:37 p.m.)
The first confirmed case of coronavirus in Presidio County was announced by County Judge Cinderela Guevara on Saturday, 5/23. “The case is a female in her 40s and is a travel related case,” a press release read. The Texas Department of State Health Services’ local region is conducting contact tracing to identify if anyone was in contact with the impacted individual.
(5/21 7:54 p.m.)
There are now at least nine confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ojinaga, including six men and three women, according to Martín Sánchez, the mayor of Ojinaga.
(5/1 6:00 p.m.)
Presidio County Judge Cinderela Guevara rescinded the continuation of the ordinance that limited hotels, motels and short term rentals on Friday evening, 5/1. The county received a phone call from Jeff Oldham, counsel to Governor Greg Abbott’s office, informing them that the local order was more restrictive than the Governor’s, and thus was unlawful. Hotels, motels and short term rentals may open for operation immediately, with no restrictions on capacity.
(4/30 4:39 p.m.)
In a news release Thursday afternoon, 4/30, officials in Brewster County announced the first known coronavirus case in the tri-county region. The patient is in their 60s, lives in South Brewster County and was tested at one of the local drive-through testing sites this weekend. At press time, officials were not yet sure how the individual was infected — though the case is under investigation. The Texas Department of State Health Services has not updated their data to reflect the newly confirmed case. The patient has been ordered to quarantine at home.
(4/30 4:27 p.m.)
Officials in Brewster and Jeff Davis counties decided on Thursday to allow their emergency orders to expire and will instead follow Governor Greg Abbott’s reopening plan. Officials in Presidio County initially voted to extend hotel closures to all but nonessential workers until May 15 (echoing a decision made by Marfa city leaders at a Wednesday night meeting) but the state intervened, superseding the local orders and demanding Marfa and Presidio County allow hotels to reopen.
(4/20 12:40 p.m.)
A young man infected with coronavirus in Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico has been announced as recovered.
State
(4/27 2:57 p.m.)
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced today his stay-at-home order would expire as planned on April 30, and a phased reopening would begin. More on his announcement can be found here.
SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS
Presidio ISD and Marfa ISD will both provide lunches through at least June 30, according to the districts. More information about pickup times and locations is available on their respective district websites.
Sul Ross State University plans to reopen its campus and have in-person classes beginning in the Fall semester, the school said.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Marfa is live-streaming their 10 a.m. Sunday worship service on their Facebook page and is offering Zoom classes. Those who need errands run on their behalf can contact the church. The church itself is open 24 hours and is accepting food donations for the Marfa Food Pantry. Updates on the Holy Week schedule are forthcoming. Call Vicar Mike Wallens at 214-862-7292 or email stpaulsmarfatx@gmail.com.
Pastor Ernesto Zubia at Iglesia Cristiana Jesus es Rey church in Marfa is asking churchgoers to stay home if they don’t feel well.
In a statement, the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend said it will continue to provide resources to domestic-violence and assault survivors during the coronavirus crisis and asks that people please call ahead to make an appointment. The numbers for assistance and appointments are 432-837-7254 for Alpine, 432-229-4297 for Presidio and 432-371-3147 for Terlingua. The group’s emergency hotline is also available 24/7 at 1-800-834-8256.
PRECAUTIONS AND STAYING SAFE
Local health authorities are still advising that people keep six feet of “social distancing” between individuals who are not from the same household.
Experts recommend people avoid touching their face and wash their hands regularly for at least 20 seconds. A hand washing guide from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is available here. Health authorities also suggest that people keep their surroundings and clothing clean, as coronavirus can also survive on surfaces. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a guide on cleaning surfaces, and the American Chemistry Council has a guide of recommended cleaning products.
For individuals who worry they might have been exposed to coronavirus, health officials ask that people contact hospitals and doctors by phone rather than visiting in person. Health care providers will evaluate on a case-by-case basis whether individuals should come in for care. Preventative Care Health Services clinics have separate entrances for anyone suspected of having the virus.
Check our homepage for the latest in depth reporting on the virus and our local community.
