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Cases of COVID-19 in Mid-County and Port Arthur spiked Monday evening, as three new cases were reported.

The City of Port Arthur Health Department received confirmation of one additional Port Arthur resident who tested positive for Coronavirus Disease. The individual is a female between the age range of 60-65 and is quarantined at home and cooperating with local health officials.

For confidentiality purposes, the PAHD is not releasing additional information to identify the individual. This brings the total to 64 individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Port Arthur.

The Health Department also received confirmation of an additional positive COVID-19 case in a resident of Nederland. The individual is a female between the age range of 60-65 and is quarantined at home and cooperating with local health officials.

For confidentiality purposes, the health department is not releasing additional information to identify this individual. This brings the total to 16 individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nederland.

Also, the Port Arthur and Jefferson County health departments received confirmation of an additional positive COVID-19 case of a resident of Groves. This individual is a female between the age range of 25-30. She is quarantined at home and is cooperating with local health officials.

For confidentiality purposes, the health departments are not releasing additional information to identify this individual. This brings the total to 13 individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Groves.

Active COVID-19 cases totaled approximately 20,192 statewide, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Of Texas’s 254 counties, 231 were reporting coronavirus infections, according to TDSHS. At least 1,672 people had died from the disease in Texas and 1,073,491 had been tested. An estimated 42,423 people had recovered from the disease in Texas.

Nationwide, 444,758 people have recovered from the disease, 1,790,191 have been infected and 104,383 have died since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the U.S., 16,936,891 had been tested for the virus.

Worldwide, at least 6,194,508 had been infected since the pandemic began, 372,501 had died, and 2,656,267 had recovered, according to the university.

Top 10 Texas counties for confirmed infections: Harris County 12,220, Dallas County 10,006, Tarrant County 5,463, Travis County 3,232, Bexar County 2,825, El Paso County 2,764, Potter County 2,321, Fort Bend County 1,861, Walker County 1,455 and Denton County 1,357.

As more businesses are opening, the Health Department is encouraging all citizens to remain vigilant about maintaining social distance. If you are in a place where social distancing cannot be maintained, a face covering should be used.

This is still a very serious situation, and we are not yet in the position of relaxing our efforts of using any non-pharmaceutical interventions.

These are steps you can take to keep you and your loved ones protected:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash. If tissues are not available, cough and sneeze into your elbow. Do not cough and sneeze into your hands.
• Frequently clean and disinfect objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Get a flu shot. The flu vaccine does not offer protection against COVID-19, but it is also flu season.

Call the City of Port Arthur Health Department at (409) 983-8880 or your healthcare provider if you are experiencing fever, cough or shortness of breath for further guidance, and for location of testing sites.