Any thoughts that COVID-19 would disappear from Scurry County before the July 4 holiday quickly disappeared Tueday.
Snyder ISD officials announced the girls’ summer workout program was on hold, two employees who had traveled to South Texas tested positive after showing symptoms of the virus and additional employees tested positive and more were placed on medical restriction at the Price Daniel Unit.
Scurry County Judge Dan Hicks said in a press release Tuesday that two employees at Snyder Oaks Care Center tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday.
All residents and staff of the Snyder Oaks facility will undergo testing through Cogdell Memorial Hospital, and results are expected back by the end of the week, he wrote.
It is believed that the virus was contracted by the two employees when they traveled to South Texas. According to the release, they entered self-quarantine after the trip and after symptoms appeared. It stated they will remain in self-quarantine for two weeks, or until at least July 13, pending retesting and negative results.
Scurry County’s Price Daniel prison unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice reported that three of its employees also tested positive for the virus.
While the prison reported no cases of COVID-19 among inmates, the TDCJ website reports that 80 individuals are on “Medical Restriction.”
Hicks on Tuesday would not say if the three positive test results were included in the daily county COVID-19 updates.
The three positive cases at the Daniel Unit are part of 527 active cases among TDCJ employees statewide, according to the site. The site also reports that there are currently 1,013 active cases among inmates statewide.
On Tuesday, the county reported 36 positive cases of COVID-19 this year, of which 16 are listed as “Active Positive Cases” and 20 are listed as “Recovered.”
Also on Tuesday, the Snyder Junior High School and Snyder High School girls' strength and conditioning programs were shut down through July 14 due to possible COVID-19 exposure.
According Snyder ISD Superintendent Dr. Eddie Bland, the dates of potential exposure were June 25 and 26.
Workouts for boys’ athletics will continue as scheduled since they work out in a separate facility, he said.
Bland said Snyder ISD screens all athletes before entry with temperature checks, athletes are spaced 6 feet apart and equipment is sanitized daily.
School officials said parents of any female athlete that attended workouts June 25 and 26, should follow CDC guidelines to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19.
“The most common symptoms of novel coronavirus are fever and cough, sometimes difficulty breathing, more rarely sore throat, muscle aches, and abdominal discomfort,” Bland said. “These symptoms can also be due to many other illnesses. If you develop a fever or any symptoms, it doesn’t mean you have novel coronavirus, but you should follow up with your primary care provider."