3 Hays County residents die from COVID-19; 152 new cases tallied Thursday

Three Hays County residents recently died of COVID-19, the Hays County Local Health Department reported Thursday. 

Hays County has now seen 296 coronavirus-related fatalities since the pandemic’s onset. The local health department reported that the county residents who died were a Kyle man in his 90s; a Dripping Springs woman in her 90s; and a Buda woman in her 90s. 

The county recorded 152 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, 67 recoveries, eight hospital discharges and three hospitalizations on Thursday. 

Hays County considers 2,243 cases active — 82 more than Wednesday — and there have been 23,630 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. Hays County has tallied 3,265 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 2,674 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Aug. 19, 2021.

Fifty-seven county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 — 45 who are unvaccinated and 12 who are fully vaccinated, according to the local health department. The county stated that of the 42 citizens hospitalized who are unvaccinated, 17 are in the ICU and on a ventilator, 16 are not in the ICU, and 12 are in the ICU and not currently on a ventilator. Additionally, 11 of the county residents hospitalized who are vaccinated are not in the ICU, while one is in the ICU and not on a ventilator. There have been 1,122 total hospitalizations as of Thursday.

There have been 21,091 county residents who have recovered from the coronavirus with the 67 recoveries tallied Thursday.

The local health department has received 212,042 negative tests and there have been 235,672 tests administered in Hays County. The positivity rate for Thursday's report was approximately 12.61%. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services has conducted random testing for positive cases of the Delta variant and there has been one confirmed positive Delta case detected in Hays County. The county, however, stated that the case is no longer considered active.

San Marcos recorded 36 new cases Thursday. The city currently has 751 active cases — 21 more than Wednesday — and there have been 8,132 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 7,698 total cases, including 852 active cases. Buda has tallied 4,265 total cases and currently has 346 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 1,165 total cases and has 66 active cases. Wimberley has counted 1,038 total cases, including 111 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 674 total cases and has 54 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 323 total cases with 38 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 112 total cases, including five active cases. Mountain City has amassed 66 total cases with 13 currently considered active. Maxwell has had 56 total cases with one active case. Uhland has had 42 total cases and has one active case. Manchaca has recorded 29 total cases.

Woodcreek has one active case and has recorded 12 total. Creedmoor has recorded eight total cases, including two active cases. Bear Creek has amassed seven total cases with two cases considered active. Hays has reported three total cases.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 6,426 total cases tallied as of Thursday. There are currently 519 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.

According to the local health department, 3,728 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 395 with active cases; 3,668 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 10-19 years old, including 376 cases considered active; 3,220 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 315 cases considered active; 2,310 are between 50-59 years old, including 217 active cases; 1,707 are 9 years old or younger with 229 cases considered active; and 1,459 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 118 are considered active cases.

Seven-hundred-seventeen Hays County residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, including 52 active cases; and 395 are 80 and older with 22 cases currently active.

The local health department reported that 12,318 females and 11,312 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There are currently 1,122 active cases among females in the county and there are 1,121 active cases among males. 

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.5% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 35.9% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 14.7% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.3% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 25.5% are unknown or not specified, 3.1% are Black, 1% are listed as other, 1% are Asian and 0.1% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported an additional 20,058 lab-confirmed cases Wednesday. There have now been 2,855,024 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 53,370 fatalities as of Thursday. There are currently 12,402 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Thursday is 18.42%.

At Texas State University there have been 152 coronavirus cases recorded since Aug. 1 — 115 among students and 37 among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 102 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

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 make an appointment for a vaccine shot, visit https://www.haysinformed.com. From there you can use the new online scheduler to find a time and location that works best for you. According to the DSHS, 111,193 Hays County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, approximately 56.73% of 195,999 eligible residents who are 12 years or older. Additionally, 134,330 county residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose — 68.32% of the eligible population.

“No appointment needed” vaccine clinics are available Monday-Friday at Live Oak Community Clinic, 401 Broadway, in San Marcos between 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available at this clinic. 

A walk-in Pfizer vaccine clinic takes place at Communicare in Kyle at 2810 Dacy Lane every Monday-Friday between 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-3 p.m.

A walk-in Pfizer clinic will take place on Saturday, Aug. 21 at ACC Hays Campus — 1200 Kohlers Crossing, Building 1000 in Kyle — from 9 a.m. through 11 a.m.