5 Hays County residents die of COVID-19; County reports 1,010 new cases Monday

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

A Kyle man in his 80s; a Dripping Springs woman in her 70s; a San Marcos man in his 60s; a Dripping Springs man in his 50s; and a Kyle man in his 50s are among those who died from the coronavirus. The local health department has reported 459 COVID-19-related fatalities since the pandemic’s onset. 

Hays County reported an additional 2,237 recoveries, 1,010 lab-confirmed cases, 22 hospital discharges and 21 hospitalizations on Monday, which included information from Feb. 3-7.  

The county considers 5,812 cases active — 1,322 fewer than reported Wednesday — and there have been 49,563 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. There have been 6,474 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Feb. 7, 2022.

Twenty-nine county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 — 16 who are unvaccinated and 3 who are vaccinated, according to the local health department. The county stated that of the 16 residents hospitalized who are unvaccinated, nine are non-ICU patients, five are in the ICU and not on a ventilator and two are in the ICU and on a ventilator. Additionally, 10 of the 13 residents who are hospitalized and vaccinated are non-ICU patients and three are currently in the ICU and not on a ventilator. There have been 1,613 total hospitalizations as of Monday.

The county has tallied 43,292 county residents who’ve recovered from the coronavirus following the 2,237 new recoveries tallied Monday.

The local health department has received 343,627 negative tests and there have been 393,190 tests administered in the county. The positivity rate for Monday’s report was approximately 23.72%. The county removed 50 cases from its total case count during its weekly audit for out-of-county and duplicate data. 

As the pandemic continues, the local health department stresses the importance of taking precautions to limit the spread, including frequent hand washing, social distancing and wearing a mask indoors around large groups of people.

San Marcos has 1,711 active cases — 455 fewer than recorded Wednesday — and there have been 16,120 total cases as of Monday.

Kyle has recorded 16,134 total cases, including 1,996 active cases. Buda has tallied 9,551 total cases and currently has 1,195 active cases. Wimberley has counted 2,783 total cases, including 326 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 2,091 total cases and has 250 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 1,354 total cases and has 172 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 711 total cases with 81 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 230 total cases including 24 active cases. Maxwell has had 220 total cases, including 16 active cases. Mountain City has amassed 125 total cases and has 10 active cases. Uhland has had 116 total cases with 14 considered active. Manchaca has recorded 81 total cases and 10 active cases. Woodcreek has recorded 17 total cases, including two active case. Creedmoor has recorded 18 total cases with four considered active. 

Bear Creek has amassed eight total cases. Hays has reported four total cases, including one active case.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 12,175 total cases tallied as of Monday. There are currently 1,085 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.

According to the local health department, 8,138 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 962 with active cases; 8,095 county residents who’ve contracted COVID-19 have been between 10-19 years old, including 938 cases considered active; 6,855 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 802 cases considered active; 4,569 are between 50-59 years old, including 542 active cases; 4,575 are 9 years old or younger with 726 cases considered active; and 3,019 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 470 are considered active cases.

The local health department has tallied 1,463 Hays County residents who are 70-79 years old and have contracted COVID-19, including 205 active cases; and 674 cases among residents who are 80 and older with 82 cases currently active.

There have been 26,589 total coronavirus cases among females and 22,974 among males in Hays County. There are currently 3,181 active cases among females in the county and 2,631 active cases among males.

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 48% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 38.2% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 13.8% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.3% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 20.6% are unknown or not specified, 4.9 % are listed as other, 3.7% are Black, 1.3% are Asian and 0.2% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported an additional 12,331 lab-confirmed cases Monday. There have now been 5,231,844 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 78,658 fatalities as of Monday. There are currently 9,659 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Tuesday is 20.719%.

At Texas State University there have been 4,047 coronavirus cases recorded since Aug. 1, 2021 — 3,369 among students and 678 among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 357 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD reported four new COVID-19 cases Thursday — four among 8,200 students and none among 1,230 faculty and staff members. 

VACCINE AVAILABILITY

In Hays County, “no appointment needed” vaccine clinics are available. Vaccines usually offered Monday-Friday at Live Oak Community Clinic, 401 Broadway won’t be available until further notice, according to the Hays County Local Health Department. A walk-in Pfizer vaccine clinic takes place at Communicare in Kyle at 2810 Dacy Lane every Monday-Friday between 11-8 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.

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

According to the DSHS, 139,486 county residents are considered fully vaccinated — 64.78% of 215,309 eligible residents who are 5 years or older as of Monday. The DSHS stated that 164,336 Hays County residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose — 76.33% of eligible residents. Additionally, the DSHS stated that 52,952 Hays County citizens have received an additional vaccine dose as of Monday.