HCH announced its second positive COVID-19 test Wednesday afternoon, but noted that it was for a non-resident of Hemphill County. That report brought to two the number of individuals who have received positive test results from the HCH lab, to date.

Roberts County Sheriff’s Office reported the first positive test case in that neighboring county yesterday afternoon, shortly after HCH released its updated numbers. While the hospital has cited HIPAA rules in declining to identify patients, the two reports were likely connected.

In response to The Record’s inquiry, CEO Christy Francis said this week the hospital district’s test supplies are holding up well. “The private laboratory we use for testing recently changed the criteria where you could send the specimens out in saline rather than using the universal transport medium which has been in such short supply,” Francis said. “This allows us to have an ample amount of tests available.”

“We have not needed to start using this method yet,” she said, “but will need to in the future. Our turnaround time has been less the 48 hours over the past two weeks.”

Globally:

Case Count: 2,062,485

Death Count: 136,908

United States:

Case Count: 637,716

Death Count: 30,826

Texas:

Case Count: 15,907

Death Count: 375