Buda man dies of COVID-19; County records 144 new cases Friday

A Buda man in his 60s recently died of COVID-19, the Hays County Local Health Department reported Friday. 

Hays County has recorded 277 coronavirus-related fatalities since the onset of the pandemic.

The local health department also recorded an additional 144 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, 54 recoveries, six hospitalizations and six hospital discharges on Friday. 

The county considers 1,763 cases active — 89 more than Thursday — and there have been 21,547 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. Hays County has tallied 2,089 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 2,398 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Aug. 6, 2021.

Forty-four county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 1,025 total hospitalizations. 

There have been 19,507 county residents who have recovered from the coronavirus following the 54 recoveries recorded Friday.

The local health department has received 198,181 negative tests and there have been 219,728 tests administered in Hays County. The positivity rate for Friday's report was 11.7%. Following its weekly audit, the county removed nine cases from its total case count on Friday due to out of county or duplicate records.

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 32 new cases Friday. The city currently has 476 active cases — 23 more than Thursday — and there have been 7,424 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 6,910 total cases, including 597 active cases. Buda has tallied 3,944 total cases and currently has 415 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 1,102 total cases and has 26 active cases. Wimberley has counted 936 total cases, including 111 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 627 total cases and has 46 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 287 total cases with 26 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 108 total cases, including six active cases. Maxwell has had 59 total cases with seven active cases. Mountain City has amassed 55 total cases with five currently considered active. Uhland has had 41 total cases and has two active cases. Manchaca has recorded 29 total cases and three active cases.

Woodcreek has one active case and has recorded 11 total. Creedmoor has recorded six total cases, including two active cases. Bear Creek has amassed five total cases. Hays has reported three total cases.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 5,942 total cases tallied as of Friday. There are currently 409 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.

According to the local health department, 3,369 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 348 with active cases, 3,312 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 10-19 years old, including 252 cases considered active; 2,930 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 244 cases considered active; 2,113 are between 50-59 years old, including 157 active cases; 1,496 are 9 years old or younger with 166 cases considered active; and 1,346 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 107 are considered active cases.

Six-hundred-seventy Hays County residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, including 57 active cases; and 369 are 80 and older with 23 cases currently active.

The local health department reported that 11,282 females and 10,265 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There are currently 932 active cases among females in the county and there are 831 active cases among males. 

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.3% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 35.6% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 15.1% 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 8,833 lab-confirmed cases Friday. There have now been 2,706,267 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 52,370 fatalities as of Friday. There are currently 8,522 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Friday is 18.58%.

At Texas State University there have been 22 coronavirus cases recorded since August 1 — 15 among students and seven among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 53 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, 108,230 Hays County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Thursday, approximately 55.22% of 195,999 eligible residents who are 12 years or older. Additionally, 129,265 county residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose — 65.95% 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. 

Every Thursday and Friday, a Pfizer vaccine clinic takes place at Communicare in Kyle at 2810 Dacy Lane from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Additionally, Pfizer vaccines will be offered at San Marcos Premium Outlets — 3943 Interstate 35 — next to James Avery across the parking lot from Victoria's Secret on August 6, 7 and 8 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.