Comal River tubing company temporarily shuts down due to increased COVID-19 cases in the area

The Float In will be closed until July 1

Tubers float the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas, Wednesday, May 20, 2020. As parks reopen following closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Texans are returning to the outdoors. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) (Eric Gay, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – An increase in coronavirus cases in Comal County has caused one tubing outfitter along the Comal River to temporarily shutter its business.

The Float In announced Tuesday that it will be closed through July 1 to help slow the spread of COVID-19, according to a statement from owner Brandon Riedel.

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The company plans to reassess the situation next week and “take guidance from our community resources as we navigate through these waters,” the statement reads in part.

On the day Riedel decided to temporarily close, Comal County confirmed 52 new cases of COVID-19 and a total of 419 cases, the highest increase for the county since the start of the pandemic.

Coronavirus cases on the rise in Comal County

By Thursday, the total had jumped by nearly 100 cases for a total of 504. A statement from county officials said, “ages continue to skew toward younger populations, with those under 40 making up a majority of new cases.”

“I know that there will be lots of questions and concerns about reservations and refunds. Please be patient with us and understand we are extremely short staffed and just like you…we are trying to understand the exact same things,” Riedel said. “This is my first experience with a global pandemic, so bear with me please.”

Hi there! My name is Brandon Riedel. My family and I operate the Float In on the Comal River. Over the past few weeks...

Posted by The Float In on Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Of the 504 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases in Comal County, the location breakdown from county officials is:

  • 368 from the New Braunfels area, including eastern and central Comal County
  • 81 from western Comal County, including Bulverde and Spring Branch
  • 22 from south of Canyon Lake
  • 18 from north of Canyon Lake, including Fischer
  • 13 from southern Comal County, including Garden Ridge and Schertz
  • 2 from Fair Oaks Ranch