OC nears 2,000 mark for COVID-19

Depending on where you get your facts, Orange County has reached 1,941 total COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, to go with 33 or 39 deaths.

Joel Ardoin, emergency management coordinator for the county, gave out the lower number of fatalities Tuesday in Commissioners Court. The Texas Department of State Health Services website had 39 coronavirus deaths listed for the county.

The good news is that both Ardoin and TDSHS report that the county has a high rate of recoveries.

Ardoin said it was 1,521, which left 387 active cases. He said only 290 of those were confirmed while 97 were listed as “probable cases” having resulted from so-called “rapid” antigen tests like the ones administered before the visit of President Trump. Those are sent to a lab to be retested before being confirmed, Ardoin said.

TDSHS had total cases at 1,847 for the county with 1,470 recoveries and 338 active cases.

Commissioners extended the county’s disaster declaration from Hurricane Laura through the end of October, which is necessary to seek federal or state reimbursement from hurricane-caused damages still unknown.

And Kurt Guidry, county maintenance boss, said new roof leaks were found just a few days ago when it last rained.

The county acknowledged receipt of $463,639 from July sales tax and set special budgets to record a $200,000 insurance reimbursement and a $120,000 CARES Election grant. Outgoing was $593,507 in weekly bills, including $118,000 for a quarterly payment to the Orange County Appraisal District.