3 Hays County residents die from COVID-19; County records 44 new cases Thursday

The Hays County Local Health Department reported three COVID-19 fatalities on Thursday, raising the county’s coronavirus-related death toll to 212. 

The three county residents who died were a Buda man in his 70s; a San Marcos man in his 50s; and a Kyle woman in her 30s, the local health department said. 

Hays County also recorded 82 additional recoveries from the disease, 44 new lab-confirmed cases, five hospitalizations and three hospital discharges on Thursday. 

According to the local health department, 498 cases are considered active — 41 fewer than Wednesday — and there have been 16,226 total cases since the first COVID-19 diagnosis in Hays County on March 14, 2020. The county has tallied 1,196 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 1,787 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Feb. 25, 2021.

Twenty-eight county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 738 total hospitalizations following the fluctuation between hospitalizations and hospital discharges reported on Thursday. 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 now been 15,516 county residents who have recovered from the coronavirus with the 82 recoveries recorded Thursday. 

The local health department has received 121,247 negative tests and there have been 137,473 tests administered in Hays County. 

San Marcos currently has 119 active cases — 57 fewer than Wednesday — and there have been 5,765 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 5,279 total cases, including 175 active cases. Buda has tallied 2,861 total cases and currently has 98 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 741 total cases and has 31 active cases. Wimberley has counted 639 total cases, including 28 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 31 active cases and has had 485 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 202 total cases and has four active cases. Niederwald has had 89 total cases and has one active case. Maxwell has had 56 total cases and has four active cases. Mountain City has amassed 40 cases and two active cases. Uhland has had 29 total cases and one active case. Manchaca has recorded 23 total cases and has four 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 4,615 total cases tallied Thursday. 

According to the local health department, 2,483 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old; 2,385 are 10-19 years old; 2,202 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range; 1,640 are between 50-59 years old; 1,051 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old; and 1,037 are 9 years old or younger

Five-hundred-eighteen residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, and 295 are 80 and older.

The local health department reported that 8,458 females and 7,768 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.2% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 33.8% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 17.1% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.5% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 25.6% are unknown or not specified, 2.7% 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 there have now been 2,269,871 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 42,285 fatalities as of Thursday. There are currently 6,724 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 2,159 total coronavirus cases since March 1, 2020 — 1,939 among students and 220 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Thursday.  There are currently 30 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD reported two COVID-19 cases for the week of Feb. 15-19. Both cases exist among 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.

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 and 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 to register to be vaccinated. According to the DSHS, 23,316 county residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 9,714 have been fully vaccinated. The DSHS estimates that Hays County has a population of 183,380 who are 16 years or older.