Buda man dies of COVID-19, 17 new cases recorded Friday

A Buda man in his 50s has died of COVID-19, the Hays County Local Health Department reported Friday. 

Hays County has recorded 232 coronavirus-related fatalities through the first year of the pandemic. The county’s first COVID-19 case was reported on March 14, 2020. 

The local health department tallied 43 additional recoveries, 17 new lab-confirmed cases and one hospital discharge on Friday. 

The county considers 446 cases active — 27 fewer than Thursday — and there have been 16,668 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries. Hays County has tallied 835 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 1,839 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through March 12, 2021.

Nine county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 764 total hospitalizations following the one hospital discharges reported on 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 Hays County, the local health department said. 

There have been 15,990 county residents who have recovered from the coronavirus with the 43 recoveries recorded Friday. 

The local health department has received 133,151 negative tests and there have been 149,819 tests administered in Hays County.

San Marcos recorded five new cases on Friday. The city currently has 144 active cases — a two-case increase since Thursday — and there have been 5,911 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 5,384 total cases, including 102 active cases. Buda has tallied 2,961 total cases and currently has 106 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 778 total cases and has 36 active cases. Wimberley has counted 665 total cases, including 21 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 16 active cases and has had 499 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 208 total cases and has seven active cases. Niederwald has had 89 total cases. Maxwell has had 59 total cases and has nine active cases. Mountain City has amassed 42 cases and two active cases. Uhland has had 30 total cases and one active case. Manchaca has recorded 25 total cases and has two active cases.

Woodcreek has tallied seven total. Bear Creek has amassed four total cases. Creedmoor has had three total cases. 

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 4,726 total cases tallied Friday. 

According to the local health department, 2,556 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old; 2,474 are 10-19 years old; 2,262 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range; 1,669 are between 50-59 years old; 1,081 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old; and 1,060 are 9 years old or younger.

Five-hundred-thirty-two residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, and 308 are 80 and older.

The local health department reported that 8,708 females and 7,960 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.1% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 34.1% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 16.8% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.7% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 25.5% are unknown or not specified, 2.7% are Black, 1% are listed as other, 1% are Asian and 0.1% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported there have now been 2,338,763 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 45,318 fatalities as of Friday. There are currently 4,229 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 2,298 total coronavirus cases since March 1, 2020 — 2,062 among students and 236 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Friday. There are currently 103 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD reported four COVID-19 cases as of Friday. Two cases exist among staff members and two among students.

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 SIGNUP 

To pre-register for Hays County’s COVID-19 vaccine waitlist visit haysinformed.com/covid-19. The pre-registration list does not guarantee an appointment. The state is only allowing individuals in groups 1A — front-line healthcare workers, residents at long-term care facilities and — 1B, individuals 65 or older, or 16 or older with a health condition that increases risk of severe COVID‑19 illness, and school and child care staff to register to be vaccinated. According to the DSHS, 34,404 county residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Friday, while 17,284 have been fully vaccinated. The DSHS estimates that Hays County has a population of 183,380 who are 16 years or older.