By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Despite Texas becoming one of the nation’s “hot spots” for COVID-19 cases, the needle hasn’t moved for Montague County’s vaccination rate as it still hovers just under 31% of those 12 and up fully vaccinated.
While the vaccinations have gone up only 25 people since July 27, the active cases of the virus continue to increase with 23 active cases as of Aug. 2.
Last Tuesday it was 21 cases. This time last year the county had less than 10 active cases. The county also recently saw its latest fatality on July 22, a man in his mid-40s with no underlying health conditions. County fatalities are listed at 73 with DSHS.
Nearby counties also are experiencing more active cases. Cooke County has 66; Wichita, 335; Clay, 15; Wise, 118 and Jack, 13.
Dr. Chance Dingler, Montague County health authority, said Monday there are four patients in Nocona General Hospital, adding there also have been a lot of positive tests in the last week.
Montague County Chief Deputy Jack Lawson responded to a rumor the county jail was possibly going to close due to a rise in inmate COVID cases.
Lawson said Monday that is incorrect. The front office was closed after two deputies and the administrative assistant became ill or were positive.

As of Monday Florida and Texas had accounted for one-third of all new U.S. coronavirus cases the prior week.
The Centers For Disease Control reported Monday Florida broke a national record reporting 21,000 new cases, the most for one day in the state since the pandemic began in early 2020.
As of Aug. 2, there are 6,853 people hospitalized with the virus across Texas with 1,694 of those in North Texas. The state reported 66,014 more cases in the last week, including 53,727 confirmed cases and 12,287 probable cases. There also were 257 COVID-19 deaths during the last week raising the state fatality toll to 52,110.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.