3 Hays County residents die from COVID-19; County reports 434 new cases Monday

Three Hays County residents recently died of COVID, raising the coronavirus-related death toll to 292. 

The Hays County Local Health Department reported that the three county residents who died included a San Marcos man in his 90s; a San Marcos woman in her 60s; and a Kyle man in his 50s.  

The local health department also recorded an additional 468 recoveries from COVID-19, 434 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, 31 hospitalizations and 13 hospital discharges on Monday. 

The county considers 2,182 cases active — 37 fewer than Friday — and there have been 23,123 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. Hays County has tallied 3,095 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 2,573 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Aug. 16, 2021.

Sixty-seven county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 — 58 who are unvaccinated and nine who are fully vaccinated, according to the local health department. There have been 1,105 total hospitalizations as of Monday.

There have been 20,649 county residents who have recovered from the coronavirus with the 468 recoveries tallied Monday.

The local health department has received 209,098 negative tests and there have been 232,221 tests administered in Hays County. The positivity rate for Monday's report was approximately 10.97%. 

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 160 new cases Monday. The city currently has 701 active cases — 33 more than Friday — and there have been 7,953 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 7,516 total cases, including 820 active cases. Buda has tallied 4,183 total cases and currently has 374 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 1,147 total cases and has 62 active cases. Wimberley has counted 1,027 total cases, including 124 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 659 total cases and has 46 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 308 total cases with 30 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 110 total cases, including six active cases. Mountain City has amassed 65 total cases with 13 currently considered active. Maxwell has had 56 total cases with one active case. Uhland has had 41 total cases. Manchaca has recorded 29 total cases and one active case.

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

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 6,327 total cases tallied as of Tuesday. There are currently 526 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.

According to the local health department, 3,638 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 396 with active cases, 3,561 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 10-19 years old, including 347 cases considered active; 3,138 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 289 cases considered active; 2,272 are between 50-59 years old, including 212 active cases; 1,648 are 9 years old or younger with 221 cases considered active; and 1,423 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 110 are considered active cases.

Seven-hundred-seven Hays County residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, including 79 active cases; and 389 are 80 and older with 24 cases currently active.

The local health department reported that 12,057 females and 11,066 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There are currently 1,096 active cases among females in the county and there are 1,086 active cases among males. 

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.5% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 35.8% 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 5,343 lab-confirmed cases Monday. There have now been 2,813,831 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 53,100 fatalities as of Monday. There are currently 11,791 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Monday is 17.81%.

At Texas State University there have been 84 coronavirus cases recorded since Aug. 1 — 54 among students and 30 among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 76 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, 110,255 Hays County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, approximately 56.25% of 195,999 eligible residents who are 12 years or older. Additionally, 133,069 county residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose — 67.89% 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 Tuesday, Aug. 17 at ACC Hays Campus — 1200 Kohlers Crossing, Building 1000 in Kyle — from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and again on Aug. 21 from 9 a.m. through 11 a.m.