Here's the place to come for the latest coronavirus-related news from the Coastal Bend. Check here often throughout the day for updates about our area and its response to this extraordinary, life-changing event.
You will find the latest information at the top of the story and all previous reported information below. We hope that including all these reports in one place will paint a more complete picture of the local response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
5/17 updates:
5 p.m. - Local health officials confirm 1 new case of COVIID-19 this Sunday in Nueces county.
In Nueces county, 6,497 tests have been conducted. Of those tests, 234 have come back positive.
According to local health officials, 39 patients have been hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those patients, four are still in the hospital including one in the intensive care unit.
There have been 3 deaths and 88 recoveries in the county.
Other local counties have not reported numbers.
5/16 updates:
6:40 p.m. Nueces county reported two (2) new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the county's total to 233 diagnosed cases. Thirteen of the new cases are listed as having been infected by person-to-person contact. Of those, 88 have recovered.
5/15 updates:
10:20 p.m. A post on the Kingsville Police Department Facebook Page on Friday night is reporting two additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, and two probable cases. Kleberg now has a running total of 14 confirmed cases, with four cases still active.
4:35 p.m. Nueces county is reporting 22 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, bringing the county's total to 231 diagnosed cases. Thirteen of the new cases are listed as having been infected by person-to-person contact. Of those, 88 have recovered.
5/14 updates:
7 p.m. Kleberg Co. has confirmed one (1) positive case bringing its total case count to 12.
5 p.m. Nueces County performs testing on 3 nursing facility. Three (3) positive cases are confirmed and one (1) probable case.
Five officers and seven CDC employees are in isolation after arresting a suspect positive for COVID-19.
4:50 p.m. - Nueces County is reporting 23 new COVID-19 cases bringing its total case count to 209. 80 people are recovered.
4:10 p.m. - San Patricio Co. is reporting three (3) new confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing its total diagnosed case count to 25. Of those cases, 11 remain active.
5/13 updates:
5:30 p.m. - All COVID-19 testing at the STX beef processing plant is reportedly complete.
Out of 747 employees tested at the STX meat plant, including contract workers and vendors, 63 tested positive in total. Read the full story here.
4:55 p.m. Nueces County reported 12 new cases bringing the County's COVID-19 case count to 186. 80 people have recovered. Correction: 7 are hospitalized.
4:00 p.m. San Patricio County reported one (1) new case bringing the County's COVID-19 case count to 23. There are 10 active cases.
5/12 updates:
4:59 p.m. Nueces Co. is reporting 27 new cases of COVID-19. Of those cases, 25 are STX Beef employees. There have been a total of 174 people diagnosed with the virus in the county, and 80 have recovered. Today's new cases top Monday's single-day record for new confirmed cases.
2 p.m. - City Manager Peter Zanoni said the COVID-19 pandemic is having some major ramifications for the city's budget.
Zanoni told the city council on Tuesday that analysts are predicting a $14 million-$21 million shortfall due to the pandemic affecting sales tax revenues. The city recently received a $5 million check for the March sales tax.
Zanoni said the airport will see a $2 million-$3 million shortfall, but some grants will offset some of the losses.
Development services and the water department also are looking at revenue hits as well.
1:45 p.m. - Local health officials are attempting to determine how the spike of coronavirus cases at the Dismas Charities halfway house materialized.
Thirteen cases were diagnosed at the halfway house on Monday. Officials are investigating whether the outbreak in that location was spread from STX Beef meat processing plant to the halfway house, or vice versa.
5/11 updates:
5 p.m. - Refugio County confirms second positive COVID-19 test for the county.
The new case is said to be a man in his 60's. He is currently isolated and his close contacts are being investigated by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
4:35 p.m. - Nueces Co. is reporting 15 new cases of COVID-19, and a total of 147 diagnosed cases in Nueces county. Of that total, 78 have recovered. Thirteen of those cases are residents of a local halfway house.
4:25 p.m. - San Patricio Co. officials confirmed four (4) new cases of COVID-19 in the county, bringing their total up to 11 active cases, and 22 cases diagnosed in total.
5/10 updates:
4:20 p.m. - Nueces County officials confirmed 3 new cases of COVID-19 in the county.
Of the 4376 tests conducted since the beginning, 132 have come back positive. Of those cases, 78 have recovered, 33 have been hospitalized, 7 are currently hospitalized, and 4 are in intensive care.
No new deaths have been reported as of today, leaving the total death count at 3 for Nueces County.
5/9 updates:
5 p.m. - Jim Wells County Reports 2 additional COVID-19 cases.
4:30 p.m. - Nueces Co. reports one new case. The case is said to be in the 0-19 age group.
According to officials, the total number of tests that have been conducted in Nueces County is 4,233, which is 249 tests more than yesterday.
Of the total number of cases reported in the county, 73 have recovered, 33 have been hospitalized, 7 are currently hospitalized, and 3 of them are in the intensive care unit. The death count remains at 3.
2 p.m. - San Patricio County reports one new case with a total of 180 tests done. 5 new tests were conducted today in the county.
Call 512-883-2400 or visit www.txcovidtest.org to schedule an appointment to be tested.
Read the full press release here.
1 p.m. - Kleberg County remains at 10 COVID-19 cases with no new reports.
"Help us keep those numbers low as you celebrate Mother’s Day by practicing social distancing,frequently washing your hands and wearing masks in areas where social distancing is a challenge," Kleberg County officials said in a post.