6 Hays County residents die from COVID-19, 35 new cases reported Wednesday

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

The county residents who died were a Dripping Springs man in his 80s; a San Marcos man in his 80s; a San Marcos man in his 70s; a Woodcreek woman in her 70s; a Maxwell man in his 30s; and a San Marcos man in his 30s. There have now been 168 coronavirus-related fatalities in Hays County. 

The local health department also recorded 198 recoveries, 35 new lab-confirmed cases, seven hospital discharges and five hospitalizations on Wednesday. 

As of Wednesday, 2,575 COVID-19 cases are considered active — a 169-case decrease since Tuesday — and there have been 13,682 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus in the county on March 14, 2020. There have been 3,256 active cases over the last 21 days as of Wednesday. The county stated that there have been 1,585 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Jan. 20, 2021.

There are currently 47 county residents hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 663  total hospitalizations as of Wednesday. 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 Hays County, the local health department said. 

With the 198 additional recoveries tallied Wednesday, 10,939 county residents have now recovered from the disease.

The local health department has received 94,710 negative tests and there have been 108,392  tests administered in Hays County.

San Marcos recorded 16 new cases Wednesday. There are currently 836 active cases — 45 fewer than Tuesday —  and there have been 5,232 total cases. 

Kyle has tallied 4,220 total cases, including 792 active cases. Buda has recorded 2,392 total cases and currently has 517 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 611 total cases and has 140 active cases. Wimberley has tallied 478 total cases, including 126 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 81 active cases and has had 366 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 168 total cases and has 28 active cases. Niederwald has had 84 total cases and has 27 active cases. Maxwell has had 34 total cases and has 18 active cases. Mountain City has amassed 34 cases and three currently active cases. Uhland has had 28 total cases and currently has two active cases. Manchaca has recorded 19 total cases and has two active cases.

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

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 4,070 total cases tallied as of Wednesday.

According to the local health department, 2,157 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old, 1,882 are 10-19 years old, 1,844 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range and 1,375 are between 50-59 years old.

Eight-hundred-sixty-eight county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old, 795 are 9 years old or younger, 446 are 70-79 years old and 245 are 80 and older.

According to the local health department, 7,163 females and 6,519 males in Hays County have  been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown states 48.4% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 32.5% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 19.1% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.7% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 26.6% 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 1,898,549 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 32,844 fatalities as of Wednesday. There are currently 13,870 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 1,637 total coronavirus cases since March 1, 2020 — 1,462 among students and 175 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Wednesday.  There are currently 195 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD reported 25 active COVID-19 cases — 16 among staff and nine among students — for the week of Jan. 11. Nine 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). But, according to the DSHS and San Marcos Family Medicine, all providers in San Marcos allocated vaccines have run out as of Wednesday.