COVID-19 Outbreak Closes Conroe Animal Shelter

CONROE, TX — Conroe Animal Shelter is temporarily closing because of positive COVID-19 test results among its employees.

The shelter announced the closure in a Facebook post Sunday.

"The shelter is closed until further notice due to multiple employees testing positive for COVID," the post said. "Thank you for understanding."

The post directed people searching for a missing animal to petharbor.com, and the statement also added that representatives from the shelter would be checking voicemails.

Conroe Animal Shelter first revealed that an employee had tested positive in a Facebook post Friday evening.

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The spread of COVID-19 at the shelter coincides with a rise in active cases in Montgomery County. In last week's update, the Montgomery County Public Health District confirmed 1,221 active cases in the county, the third straight week with an increase. Health authorities also said the positive rate for the county rose to 7 percent and confirmed the deaths of four more people with COVID-19, bringing the county's total to 346.

Until the July uptick, COVID-19 indicators in Montgomery County had been falling steadily since January. Cases are rising in cities and communities across the United States, with the delta variant taking over as the dominant variant.