Hays County reports 61 COVID-19 recoveries, 39 new cases Friday

The Hays County Local Health Department reported an additional 61 recoveries from COVID-19, 39 new lab-confirmed tests and three hospital discharges on Friday. 

There are currently 1,555 active coronavirus cases — 22 fewer than Thursday — and there have been 5,871 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus in Hays County on March 14. 

Following the three hospital discharges announced Friday, there are currently 19 county residents hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 341 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. 

With the 61 newly reported recoveries, 4,262 Hays County residents have now recovered from the disease.

The local health department has reported 54 COVID-19-related fatalities.

The county has received 26,430 negative tests and there have been 32,301 tests administered in Hays County.

San Marcos has tallied the most coronavirus cases in the county but is no longer the city with the most active cases. The city currently has 473 active cases — 20 less than Thursday — and has had 2,968 total cases as of Friday.

Kyle now has 699 active cases and has had 1,754 total. Buda has recorded 775 total cases and currently has 263 active cases. Wimberley has tallied 97 total cases, including 18 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 96 total cases and has 49 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 22 active cases and has had 62 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 38 total cases and has 13 active cases. Niederwald has had 31 total cases and there is one active case. Uhland has had 20 total cases and has nine active cases. Mountain City has had 10 total cases and has four active cases. 

Manchaca has had nine total cases and has three active cases. Maxwell has had nine total cases. Bear Creek and Woodcreek each have had one total case.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 2,222 total cases tallied as of Friday. 

Nine-hundred-forty-six county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old. Six-hundred-ninety people diagnosed with the coronavirus are 40-49 years old. Six-hundred-fifty residents fall in the 10-19-year-old age range. Five-hundred-thirty-five county residents diagnosed with COVID-19 are between 50-59 years old, 334 are 60-69 years old, 198 are 70-79 years old, 192 are 9 years old or younger and 104 are 80 and older.

According to the local health department, 3,071 females and 2,800 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown states 43.5% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 38% of county residents diagnosed with the disease don’t have a specified ethnicity and 18.5% are non-Hispanic.

By race, 60.5% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 36.8% are unknown or not specified, 2.2% are Black and 0.5% are Asian. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Thursday that there have now been 728,552 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19, there have been 15,364 fatalities and there are 3,221 Texans currently hospitalized by the virus. An estimated 646,143 Texans have recovered from the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 597 total coronavirus cases since March 1 — 557 among students and 40 among faculty and staff — as of press time Friday. 

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.