6 Hays County residents die of COVID-19, 139 new cases recorded Friday

The Hays County Local Health Department reported an additional six COVID-19-related fatalities on Friday. 

The county residents who died were three San Marcos women in their 80s; a Dripping Springs man in his 80s; a San Marcos man in 30s; and a Kyle woman in her 30s. There have now been 154 coronavirus-related fatalities in Hays County. 

The local health department also recorded 139 new lab-confirmed cases, 105 recoveries, nine hospitalizations and eight hospital discharges. 

As of Friday, 2,360 COVID-19 cases are considered active — a 28-case increase since Thursday — and there have been 12,948 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus on March 14, 2020. There have been 3,358 active cases over the last 21 days as of Friday. The county stated that there have been 1,512 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Jan. 15, 2021.

There are currently 46 county residents hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 636  total hospitalizations as of Friday. 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. 

With the 105 additional recoveries tallied Friday, 10,434 county residents have now recovered from the disease.

The local health department has received 89,194 negative tests and there have been 102,142 tests administered in Hays County. 

San Marcos recorded 52 new cases Friday. There are currently 802 active cases — 24 more than Thursday —  and there have been 5,016 total cases. 

Kyle has tallied 3,961 total cases, including 696 active cases. Buda has recorded 2,260 total cases and currently has 486 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 574 total cases and has 129 active cases. Wimberley has tallied 439 total cases, including 113 active cases.Austin, within Hays County, currently has 66 active cases and has had 343 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 159 total cases and has 24 active cases. Niederwald has had 77 total cases and has 25 active cases. Mountain City has amassed 33 cases and two currently active cases. Uhland has had 28 total cases and currently has three active cases. Maxwell has had 26 total cases and has 11 active cases. Manchaca has recorded 19 total cases and has two active cases.

Bear Creek has tallied four total cases. Creedmoor has had four total cases, including one active case. Woodcreek has had two total cases.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 3,911 total cases tallied as of Friday.

According to the local health department, 2,046 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old, 1,772 are 10-19 years old, 1,724 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range and 1,286 are between 50-59 years old.

Eight-hundred-seven county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old, 746 are 9 years old or younger, 420 are 70-79 years old and 236 are 80 and older.

According to the local health department, 6,787 females and 6,161 males in Hays County have 
been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown states 48% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 32.2% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 19.8% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 70% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 26.3% are unknown or not specified, 2.7% are Black, 0.9% are Asian and 0.1% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported there have now been 1,816,535 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 31,450 fatalities as of Friday. There are currently 13,953 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 1,514 total coronavirus cases since March 1, 2020 — 1,352 among students and 162 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Friday. There are currently 174 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD is reporting 16 active COVID-19 cases — 16 among staff and three among students. Three cases are considered onsite cases. 

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.

COVID-19 VACCINE AVAILABILITY

According to a map provided by the DSHS, there are four providers in San Marcos who currently have received vaccine doses: HEB Pharmacy 455 (200 W. Hopkins St.); HEB Pharmacy 243 (641 E. Hopkins St.); Premier ER San Marcos (1509 N. Interstate 35); and San Marcos Family Medicine (2406 Hunter Road). According to the state, only groups 1A — frontline health care workers and residents of a long-term care facility — and 1B, which consists of those who are 65 years and older and people 16 years and older who have a chronic medical condition such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, sickle cell disease and Type 2 diabetes mellitus, are currently eligible to receive the vaccine. Before visiting a hospital or clinic for a vaccine call ahead or visit their website.