2 Hays County residents die from COVID-19; 61 recoveries reported Wednesday

The Hays County Local Health Department reported two new fatalities — a San Marcos Woman in her 90s and the other a Kyle man in his 70s. Both were hospitalized at the time of their death. 

The local health department  also reported 61 additional county residents have recovered from COVID-19, 18 new lab-confirmed coronavirus cases and three new hospitalizations on Wednesday. 

There are currently 2,518 active COVID-19 cases — 45 less than Tuesday — and there have been 5,210 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus in Hays County on March 14. 

With the 61 recoveries reported Wednesday, 2,649 Hays County residents have now recovered from the disease.

There are currently 18 county residents hospitalized by the coronavirus. There have been 131 total hospitalizations. Some patients hospitalized by COVID-19 are in hospitals outside of Hays County but are included in the county’s numbers if they reside within the county, the local health department said.

The county has reported 43 coronavirus-related fatalities since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries.

The local health department has received 23,221 negative tests and is awaiting results from 34 tests. There have been 28,465 tests administered in Hays County. 

Information about new testing sites, including several permanently operated by the county and its partners at Premiere ER and CommuniCare, as well as additional mobile testing by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, will be coming soon. The county said information will be shared once the details are finalized.

San Marcos has tallied the most coronavirus cases in the county but continues to see a decrease in active cases with 29 fewer than Tuesday. The city currently has 1,110 active cases and has had 2,542 total cases.

Kyle now has 896 active cases and has had 1,630 total. Buda has recorded 700 total cases and currently has 365 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 89 total cases and has 68 active cases. Wimberley has tallied 83 total cases, including 26 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 27 active cases and has had 48 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 35 total cases and has 20 active cases. Niederwald has had 30 total cases. Uhland has had 15 total cases and has 10 active cases. 

Mountain City has had nine total cases and has six active cases. Maxwell has had nine total cases, including one active case. Manchaca has had eight total cases and two active cases. Bear Creek and Woodcreek each have had one total case.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 2,029 total cases recorded Wednesday. 

Eight-hundred-eighty-three county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old. Six-hundred-thirty-nine people diagnosed with the coronavirus are 40-49 years old. Four-hundred-eighty-eight residents fall in the 50-59-year-old age range. Four-hundred-thirty-two county residents diagnosed with COVID-19 are between 10-19 years old, 300 are 60-69 years old, 178 are 9 years old or younger, 173 are 70-79 years old and 88 are 80 and older.

According to the local health department, 2,720 females and 2,482 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown states that 37.4% of county residents diagnosed with the disease don’t have a specified ethnicity, while 44.5% are Hispanic and 18.2% are non-Hispanic. 

By race, 60.8% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 36.8% are unknown or not specified, 1.9% are Black and 0.5% are Asian. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported that there have now been 557,256 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19, there have been 10,559 fatalities and there are 5,794 Texans currently hospitalized by the virus. An estimated 424,685 Texans have recovered from the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks for most people. The disease, however, can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death, especially for older adults and people with existing health problems.