Keough tests positive for virus
Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough has tested positive for COVID-19, but the first-term judgewho has been a strong opponent against strict mask and stayat-home orders remained asymptomatic Monday.
Keough learned the news late Dec. 16 after hewas given the test Dec. 15 as part of his preparation to have hip replacement surgery. The surgery is related to aWoodlands car crash involving Keough in Septem
ber.
Jason Millsaps, Keough’s chief of staff and the executive director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said Keough spoke to everyone he had contact with about the result, including members of Commissioners Court, which met for a regular meeting Dec. 15.
“The judge did hisdue diligence and talked to every single person he was in contact with Monday and Tuesday of last week,” Millsaps said. “He is asymptomatic and if he had not taken the test as a requirement to get his hip replacement surgery, he would have never knownhewas positive. Even today he has zero symptoms.”
Keough has publically criticized Gov. Greg Abbott’s actions during the pandemic, including mandatory mask orders and his phased
planned that kept many businesses shuttered longer than others. However, Millsaps said Keough is following the guidelines and is staying home and all those in his office are participating in the CDC guidelines.
“This Thursday will be the end of 10 days and as long as he is still symptom-free he can resume normal activities,” Millsaps said.
As of Monday, none of those whom Keough hadbeen in contact with had tested positive for COVID-19.
The news of Keough’s results comes as the cases in the county, state and nation continue to spike. On Friday, cases in Montgomery County pushed over 6,000 in active COVID-19 cases after health officials confirmed an additional 202 cases.
Health officials confirmed Mon-day the county’s total case count reached 23,267. That is a 689 case increase from Friday. Of those, 6,429 were active, an increase of 394 from Friday. To date, 13,036 people have recovered.
The county’s death count reached 186 on Monday with the death of a Porter man in his 40 whowas hospitalized and had other health conditions along with testing positive for the virus when he died.
Total hospitalizations increased by 19 to 160 with 31 of those patients in ICU.
The county’s testing positive rate is 13 percent, which is above Gov. Greg Abbott’s threshold of 10 percent.
Earlier this month, Keough attributed that number to less testing in the county meaning those who are getting tested are those with symptoms who likely are positive for the virus.