Freestone County still without virus case

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The City of Fairfield released a statement Friday morning on Facebook, saying there are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Freestone County.

As of Friday afternoon, there are currently 5,330 reported cases in Texas, with 90 fatalities thus far, according to the Texas State Department of Health Services (DSHS). Local officials in Limestone County have confirmed three cases, with one fatality occurring Tuesday. There are five confirmed cases in Navarro County, and two in Leon County.

The city’s statement goes on to tell citizens to continue to follow all CDC and state guidelines, and to continue to send one person per household to obtain essential supplies.

Freestone Medical Center also released an update Thursday, further urging citizens to follow the CDC and the DSHS for further COVID-19 information.

The medical center has restarted testing for bone density and mammography as of Tuesday, with registration and check-in available on the east side of the facility, off of Newman Street. The center is “so excited to be able to open this back up to our community,” according to a statement on their Facebook page.

Their statement goes on to say that MRI services will restart on April 13, with patients pre-registered by phone and directed where to arrive for their exam. Once MRI comes back into service, according to the post, all outpatient testing capabilities in the laboratory and radiology will be functional.

“We appreciate so much our community’s patience during these unprecedented times,” the post states.

The center will also be proceeding with a blood drive on April 16, in conjunction with Carter BloodCare. In consultation with Carter, every precaution has been made to ensure the safety of staff, and to ensure appropriate social distancing on the donor bus. Staff will be in full protective gear throughout the day.

To ensure appropriate social distancing during the drive, only two people will be allowed to register at a given time, and only two donors will be allowed at a time, as opposed to the usual four people. Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment with Carter BloodCare prior to arrival, with announcements for specific times to be made later.

The center reminds potential donors to refrain from potentially exposing others if you are not feeling well the day of donation. Carter BloodCare also maintains donation centers at Baylor-Dallas, and in Waco, if the April 16 date does not fit your schedule.

“We do encourage you to share the Gift of Life during this crisis,” the post states. “It is a huge need and something we can all do.”

In an update from Wednesday, seven City of Teague employees have been released from their self-quarantines, and will be returning to work. The employees self-quarantined after one city employee exhibited symptoms related to COVID-19 during the latter part of last week. In a statement, the city “would like to thank everyone for the prayers and words of encouragement during this time.”

For those looking to head outside this weekend for essential activities, the weather may not cooperate. Temperatures will drop to 45 degrees Fahrenheit tonight, with a high of just 52 degrees Saturday, along with a 70 percent chance of rainfall. Sunday will be back to normal temperatures, with a high of 70 and low of 60 degrees, and a 40% chance of rain.