COVID-19: Texarkana Area Update for Thursday Afternoon, May 14

Bowie County Emergency Operations Center reports a total of 111 positive COVID-19 cases, with 73 recoveries and 11 related deaths. Cass County has a total of 20 with 16 recovered.

Miller County has 40 total cases, 393 negative results, 35 recovered, 1 death. Updated Thursday afternoon, May 14.

Total Positive Cases in Bowie County	111
Bowie County Patients Hospitalized locally	2
Bowie County Patients Isolated at Home/Quarantine	24
Bowie County Patients Recovered	73
COVID-19 Deaths in Bowie County	11

Total Positive Cases in Cass County	20
Cass County Patients Recovered	16
Other COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized locally (non-Bowie County residents)	3

MEDIA UPDATE
5/14/20 at 3:00 PM

TEXARKANA, TX—Bowie County Emergency Operations Center reports a total of 111 positive COVID-19 cases, with 73 recoveries and 11 related deaths. Cass County has a total of 20 with 16 recovered.

Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Bowie County (as of 5/14/20)
Total Cases in Bowie County	111
Ages (Bowie County Cases)
0-19	5
20-29	15
30-39	20
40-49	25
50-59	17
60-69	16
70-79	13
80+	0
Gender (Bowie County Cases)
Male	54
Female	57
Deaths
	11

The Emergency Operations Center received test results from the mobile testing site conducted last week on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 and the results are as follows:

Positive: 1
Negatives: 86
No Pending

Another round of no cost COVID testing will be offered tomorrow, Friday, May 15, 2020 at 4102 Gibson Ln. Texarkana, TX 75503 (the old Excel ER next to Hopkins Ice House). Anyone experiencing symptoms can be tested for free, including fever and/or chills, cough, fatigue, body aches or muscle or joint pain, shortness of breath, sore throat, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, nasal congestion, loss of taste and/or smell.

Texarkana, Texas Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief Eric Schlotter explains the need for more testing.

Residents seeking testing should register for a time to be tested by visiting http://txcovidtest.org or calling 512-883-2400 after Wednesday of this week.

The deadline for the Business Survey to gauge Economic Impact has been extended. All businesses in Bowie County are invited to submit a survey, to report positive or negative impacts to their business. The deadline is May 29, 2020 and the survey can be accessed at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHFOIw9o16XOhE2_Ul4iKlW0K775q7zsWmjctRpovfhTWDzw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Residents in Bowie and Cass County are urged to continue following Governor Abbott’s Executive Orders and following CDC guidelines for social distancing, handwashing, and sanitizing.

Governor Abbott announced last week effective May 18^th gyms and exercise facilities will be able to reopen with 25% capacity. Initial restrictions will include showers and locker rooms remaining closed, requirements for customers to wear gloves covering their whole hand, and the disinfection of all equipment after each use. Distancing will be required as well, and any equipment brought in (such as a yoga mat), must be disinfected before and after use.

He addressed the reopening of non-essential manufacturing and other offices on Monday, May 18 to the greater of the following: five employees, or 25% of their workforce, provided that social distancing can be maintained.

Guidelines are still being worked out for bars, and the governor has requested that owners reach out to his office to provide feedback.