Denton County reports 3 coronavirus deaths; Collin County offering free tests for uninsured
Denton County reported three coronavirus deaths Thursday, the first there since Friday.
The county has confirmed 28 COVID-19 deaths, the latest being a Denton man in his 70s, a Colony man in his 60s and a woman in her 70s in rural Denton County. All three had been hospitalized.
“The majority of reported deaths in Denton County have not been current residents of long-term care facilities, highlighting the universal risk of local transmission and potentially fatal outcomes,” Denton County Public Health Director Dr. Matt Richardson said in a news release.
Denton County reported 27 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 1,016, including 541 recoveries.
“It is extremely important, as businesses reopen and we begin to venture out more often, that we take every precaution possible to keep ourselves, our families, our friends and others whose paths we cross as safe as possible,” Denton County Judge Andy Eads said in a release.
Collin County offering free COVID-19 testing
Collin County has reported three coronavirus deaths since May 8, including a 90-year-old McKinney woman on Sunday, a 77-year-old Plano woman on Monday and a 71-year-old Plano man on Wednesday.
The county has reported 15 new cases each of the past two days and has confirmed 993 total COVID-19 cases, including 30 deaths and 661 recoveries. The county reports 11,950 negative tests and is monitoring 1,671 residents for symptoms.
Collin County residents without health insurance are eligible to receive free COVID-19 testing and physical evaluations under the Collin Cares plan.
Collin County Commissioners Court authorized $3 million to cover the costs for testing uninsured residents of all ages through a voucher system. The county will be billed directly by local healthcare providers. The funding for Collin Cares comes from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Only uninsured residents are eligible and prescriptions are not covered.
All health-care providers are eligible and encouraged to participate in the Collin Cares COVID-19 testing program. PrimaCare Urgent Care and CommunityMed Urgent Care have already agreed to accept the vouchers.
Eligible residents are encouraged to contact their health-care providers to determine whether they will accept the Collin Cares vouchers. Health-care providers that would like to inquire about the program should call 972-548-4702.
More information is available at the Collin Cares website.
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 6:52 PM.
