Orange County Judge confirms he has COVID-19

In the midst of the worst spike yet in local coronavirus cases, Orange County Judge John Gothia has tested positive for COVID-19, he told the County Record and Penny Record newspapers Tuesday.

Gothia missed last Tuesday's every-other-week meeting of Commissioners Court because he was ill, then canceled a meeting with city mayors Friday because he wasn't feeling well. He missed Tuesday's specially called Commissioners Court meeting.

"I found out [Monday] night," said the county's top elected official. "Now I have seven more days of quarantine."

The judge said he hadn't been able to determine how he the respiratory illness was passed on to him.

"We haven't been able to figure out anybody sick that I've been around," he said.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Orange County more than doubled in June, going from a total of 98 confirmed cases as of May 28 to 191 cases on June 23, the last report released by the Orange County Public Health Department.

Active cases in the county had gone from 12 on May 28 to 79 on June 23.

A new weekly report is expected later this week.

The county had its biggest single-day testing event Sunday, as the walk-in testing at the Bridge City Community Center Sunday saw 267 residents tested in just seven hours.

Gothia said Tuesday morning he had a headache, fever, sore throat and body aches.

"It's the typical flu," he said. "I've got no energy. I can't do anything."