Breckenridge Texan

Local officials were notified Tuesday, May 12, that another Breckenridge resident has tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Additionally, the City of Breckenridge closed the city offices to public access on Tuesday as a precautionary measure because a city employee who had been inside the office was exposed to the person who tested positive.

According to Interim City Manager Heather Robertson-Caraway, the city employee was not exposed at work, but was around the person last week before they received the test results. The city employee was tested for the virus on Tuesday.

“So we’re just taking precautions because we don’t want to spread it and we’ve been around (the employee,)” she said.

Both the city employee and the person who tested positive live in Breckenridge and are at home quarantined, according Robertson-Caraway. She said the employee that was tested has not shown any symptoms of COVID-19.

“We just didn’t want to take any chances,” she said.

The person who has COVID-19 works in Abilene and was tested there. But, because they live in Breckenridge, they are counted as a positive test for Stephens County, making them the second confirmed case in the county. According to Stephens County Judge Michael Roach, who serves as the County’s emergency coordinator, all test results show up in the county of residence of the person tested.

“So if that person lives in Stephens County, that’s where that will be,” he said.

As of Tuesday evening, May 12, the Stephens Memorial Hospital’s COVID-19 Update on its Facebook page shows Stephens County has had 146 tests performed, including the 96 tests given by the Texas National Guard during their drive-through testing in Breckenridge on April 30. Of the total number of local tests, there are 141 negative tests, 1 active/positive test, 1 recovered and 3 tests pending.

Robertson-Caraway said City officials aren’t sure how long the offices will be closed to public access. She said they were told it would take two days to get the employee’s test results back. However, she said, city staff is still answering phones and utility bill payments can be left in the drop box outside the office.

For more local COVID-19 news, click here to see the Breckenridge Texan’s Coronavirus News page.

Story and photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan