Across all segments of Texas' life, the hurt from Covid-19 is staggering. But the danger to public servants and law enforcement is exponentially higher than other segments of society. On April 1st, a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Detention Deputy tested positive for COVID-19. In a press release to HEADLINE and other media outlets, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office expanded on the situation:

“The deputy was asymptomatic while at work on Sunday, March 29, 2020, then reported feeling sick on Monday, March 30, 2020, with symptoms consistent with nasal allergies. The deputy abided by all COVID-19 mitigation efforts in place at the Adult Detention Center which includes temperature checks prior to entering in the building and utilizing hand sanitizer. Additionally, the deputy’s temperature was taken once more at the end of shift on Tuesday, March 30, 2020. Both times, there was no indication of a fever.”

Other deputies working in close contact with the Covid-19-positive deputy have been placed on administrative leave and are not showing symptoms. Additional precautions will also be taken in the Detention Center:

“Because of physical barriers in place such as cell doors within the living units, there is limited face to face interaction with the inmates; therefore, the inmates the deputy oversaw are believed to be at low-risk of contracting COVID-19. However, they will be kept in place and monitored more closely for a 14-day period. Also, the unit where the deputy worked is in the process of being fully sanitized.”

While the threat from Coronavirus in Texas is very real, the titanic effort that our healthcare workers, public servants, and law enforcement are doing is commendable. Texans, as a community, have come together in a time of local, state, and national crisis to make the personal sacrifices necessary to see us through this difficult time. So where will we be four weeks from now? Will the Lone Star State have successfully weathered this Covid-19 storm? Only time will tell. But HEADLINE will be there, separating fact from fiction, reporting on the news and stories that matter to you.