The Hays County Local Health Department reported an additional 334 recoveries, 131 lab-confirmed cases, 10 hospital discharges and seven hospitalizations on Friday, which included information from Feb. 24-25.
The county considers 2,272 cases active — 203 fewer than reported Wednesday — and there have been 52,500 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. There have been 6,866 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Feb. 25, 2022.
Ten county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 — five who are unvaccinated and five who are vaccinated — according to the local health department. The county stated that of the five residents hospitalized who are unvaccinated, four are non-ICU patients and one is in the ICU and not on a ventilator. Additionally, three of the five residents who are hospitalized and vaccinated are currently non-ICU patients, one is in the ICU and not on a ventilator and one is in the ICU and not on a ventilator. There have been 1,660 total hospitalizations as of Friday.
The county has tallied 49,749 county residents who’ve recovered from the coronavirus with the 334 additional recoveries tallied Friday.
Hays County has recorded 479 COVID-19-related fatalities since the pandemic’s onset.
The local health department has received 355,945 negative tests and there have been 48,445 tests administered in the county. The positivity rate for Friday’s report was approximately 9.31%
As the pandemic continues, the local health department stresses the importance of taking precautions to limit the spread, including frequent hand washing, social distancing and wearing a mask indoors around large groups of people. The local health department now accepts at-home COVID-19 test results to be uploaded online at https://arcg.is/1G4P1r. The county said all information remains confidential and no identifying information is collected. Additionally, at-home test results reported won’t be included in the official case count but will provide “a better understanding of community spread,” the county added.
San Marcos has 461 active cases — 42 fewer than recorded Wednesday — and there have been 16,684 total cases as of Friday.
Kyle has recorded 17,240 total cases, including 850 active cases. Buda has tallied 10,166 total cases and currently has 462 active cases. Wimberley has counted 2,908 total cases, including 85 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 2,421 total cases and has 250 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 1,477 total cases and has 87 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 754 total cases with 34 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 244 total cases including 13 active cases. Maxwell has had 220 total cases. Mountain City has amassed 133 total cases and has seven active cases. Uhland has had 125 total cases with seven considered active. Manchaca has recorded 96 total cases and 14 active cases. Woodcreek has recorded 18 total cases with one currently active case
Bear Creek has amassed nine total cases with one active case. Hays has reported four total cases. Creedmoor has recorded one total case.
The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 12,651 total cases tallied as of Friday. There are currently 378 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.
According to the local health department, 8,579 county residents who’ve contracted COVID-19 have been between 10-19 years old, including 381 cases considered active; 8,547 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 315 with active cases; 7,281 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 315 cases considered active; 4,861 are between 50-59 years old, including 230 active cases; 5,066 are 9 years old or younger with 409 cases considered active; and 3,218 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 141 are considered active cases.
The local health department has tallied 1,571 Hays County residents who are 70-79 years old and have contracted COVID-19, including 72 active cases; and 726 cases among residents who are 80 and older with 31 cases currently active.
There have been 28,214 total coronavirus cases among females and 24,286 among males in Hays County. There are currently 1,256 active cases among females in the county and 1,016 active cases among males.
The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 47% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 38% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 15% don’t have a specified ethnicity.
By race, 67.5% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 20.5% are unknown or not specified, 6.5 % are listed as other, 3.6% are Black, 1.5% are Asian and 0.3% are American Indian.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported an additional 4,693 lab-confirmed cases Friday. There have now been 5,426,396 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 83,271 fatalities as of Friday. There are currently 4,211 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Friday is 6.89%.
At Texas State University there have been 4313 coronavirus cases recorded since Aug. 1, 2021 — 3,609 among students and 704 among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 114 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.
VACCINE AVAILABILITY
In Hays County, “no appointment needed” vaccine clinics are available. Vaccines usually offered Monday-Friday at Christus Trinity Clinic (formerly Live Oak), 401 Broadway won’t be available until further notice, according to the Hays County Local Health Department. A walk-in Pfizer vaccine clinic takes place at Communicare in Kyle at 2810 Dacy Lane every Monday-Friday between 8-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in San Marcos at multiple CVS pharmacies, multiple Walgreens pharmacies, both H-E-B pharmacies, B&J Pharmacy, San Marcos Family Medicine and Sam’s Club Pharmacy. Visit https://www.vaccines.gov to see other locations across the county. Check with each location to see if an appointment is required or if walk-in is accepted.
According to the DSHS, 141,353 county residents are considered fully vaccinated — 65.65% of 215,309 eligible residents who are 5 years or older as of Friday. The DSHS stated that 165,703 Hays County residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose — 76.96% of eligible residents. Additionally, the DSHS stated that 54,859 Hays County citizens have received an additional vaccine dose as of Friday.
