3 Hays County residents die of COVID-19, 60 new cases recorded Friday

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

A San Marcos woman in her 60s; a Kyle woman in her 60s; and a Kyle man in his 60s were among those who died from the coronavirus. Hays County has now recorded 379 COVID-19-related fatalities since the pandemic’s onset. 

The local health department also tallied 109 additional recoveries from the coronavirus, 60 new lab-confirmed cases, nine hospital discharges and one hospitalization on Friday.

The county considers 827 cases active — 52 fewer than Thursday — and there have been 28,963 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. The county has tallied 1,457 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 3,233 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Oct. 8, 2021.

Thirty-two county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 — 27 who are unvaccinated and five who are fully vaccinated, according to the local health department. The county stated that of the 27 citizens hospitalized who are unvaccinated, 14 are in the ICU and on a ventilator, eight are in the ICU and not currently on a ventilator and five are non-ICU patients. Additionally, three of the five residents who are hospitalized and fully vaccinated are currently non-ICU patients, while one is in the ICU and on a ventilator and one is in the ICU and not on a ventilator. There have been 1,314 total hospitalizations as of Friday. 

The local health department has tallied 27,757 county residents who’ve recovered from the coronavirus following the 109 recoveries reported Friday.

The local health department has received 261,466 negative tests and there have been 290,429 tests administered in the county. The positivity rate for Friday’s report was approximately 6.7%. Following its weekly audit, the county removed 26 cases from its total case count, including six hospitalizations, due to out-of-county or duplicate records. 

San Marcos currently has 179 active cases — 21 fewer than Thursday — and there have been 9,727 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 9,380 total cases, including 263 active cases. Buda has tallied 5,219 total cases and currently has 166 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 1,385 total cases and has 27 active cases. Wimberley has counted 1,544 total cases, including 106 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 824 total cases and has 41 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 458 total cases with 27 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 138 total cases, including seven active cases. Mountain City has amassed 76 total cases with one active case. Maxwell has had 71 total cases. Uhland has had 55 total cases and has three active cases. Manchaca has recorded 56 total cases with seven currently considered active. Woodcreek has recorded 12 total. 

Bear Creek has amassed eight total cases. Creedmoor has recorded seven total cases. Hays has reported three total cases.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 7,363 total cases tallied as of Friday. There are currently 88 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.

According to the local health department, 4,927 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 10-19 years old, including 221 cases considered active; 4,523 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 106 with active cases; 3,917  people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 121 cases considered active; 2,719 are between 50-59 years old, including 79 active cases; 2,472 are 9 years old or younger with 131 cases considered active; and 1,747 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 43 are considered active cases.

Eight-hundred-forty-three Hays County residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, including 30 active cases; and 452 are 80 and older with eight cases currently active.

The local health department reported that 15,070 females and 13,893 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There are currently 423 active cases among females in the county and there are 404 active cases among males. 

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 37.3% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 13.7% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 70.2% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 24.3% are unknown or not specified, 3.3% are Black, 1.1% are listed as other, 1% are Asian and 0.1% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported an additional 6,.094 lab-confirmed cases Friday. There have now been 3,428,193 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 66,057 fatalities as of Friday. There are currently 7,004 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Friday is 8.88%.

At Texas State University there have been 1,665 coronavirus cases recorded since Aug. 1 — 1,543 among students and 122 among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 78 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.
San Marcos Consolidated ISD reported 18 active COVID-19 cases as of Friday — 11 among 8,000 SMCISD students and seven among 1,230 faculty and staff members. 

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.

​​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, 124,432 Hays County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Wednesday, approximately 63.49% of 195,999 eligible residents who are 12 years or older. Additionally, 144,452 county residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose — 73.7% of the eligible population. DSHS data states that 7,179 county residents have received a COVID-19 booster shot.

“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 drive-thru vaccine clinic will soon be offered Monday-Friday by MD Diagnostics at Old Walnut Springs School, 300 Sportsplex, in Dripping Springs from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

COVID-19 vaccines are widely available in San Marcos at multiple CVS pharmacies, multiple Walgreens pharmacies, both H-E-B pharmacies, MedPark Pharmacy, B&J Pharmacy, San Marcos Family Medicine and Sam’s Club Pharmacy. Visit https://hayscountytx.com/covid-19-information-for-hays-county-residents/ to see other locations across the county. Check with each location to see if an appointment is required or if walk-in is accepted.