County reports 2 COVID-19 fatalities, 51 new cases Tuesday

Two Hays County residents have died from COVID-19, marking the 103rd and 104th coronavirus-related fatalities in the county. 

The Hays County Local Health Department reported that the residents who died were a San Marcos woman in her 80s and a Wimberley woman in her 70s. 

The local health department also reported 102 additional recoveries from COVID-19, 51 new lab-confirmed cases and four hospital discharges on Tuesday.

There are currently 719 active coronavirus cases — a 53-case decrease since Monday — and there have been 7,429 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within Hays County on March 14. The local health department also reported that there have been 1,040 active cases over the last 21 days — a 31-case decrease since Monday. The county reported that there have been 892 probable cases spanning from April through Dec. 1. 

There are currently 12 county residents hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 434 total hospitalizations after the four hospital discharges reported Tuesday. 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 the county, the local health department said.

Hays County has now had 6,606 residents recover from the disease as of Tuesday. 

The local health department has received 52,059 negative tests and there have been 59,488 tests administered in Hays County.

Epidemiologist Eric Schneider reminds residents that COVID-19 is still “very active” in Hays County. 

“As the holidays approach we want to keep encouraging the community to wear masks, wash your hands and to stay home if possible,” Schneider said in a statement. “Doing these things not only protect you but can protect those around you.”

San Marcos, which has tallied the most coronavirus cases in the county, saw no change in active cases reported Tuesday but tallied 11 additional cases. There are currently 68 active COVID-19 cases and there have been 3,116 total cases.

Kyle has tallied 2,381 total cases, including 296 active cases. Buda has recorded 1,197 total cases and currently has 186 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 258 total cases and has 86 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 37 active cases and has had 147 total cases. Wimberley has tallied 149 total cases, including 20 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 83 total cases and has 19 active cases. Niederwald has had 34 total cases and has three active cases. Uhland has had 23 total cases.

Maxwell has had nine total cases. Manchaca has had nine total cases, including one active case. Bear Creek has had three total cases. Woodcreek has had two total cases.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 2,463 total cases tallied as of Tuesday.

According to the local health department, 1,168 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old. Nine-hundred-fifty-five people diagnosed with the coronavirus are 40-49 years old. Nine-hundred-thirty-one residents fall in the 10-19-year-old age range. 

Seven-hundred-twenty-seven county residents diagnosed with COVID-19 are between 50-59 years old, 465 are 60-69 years old, 253 are 70-79 years old, 302 are 9 years old or younger and 165 are 80 and older.

According to the local health department, 3,875 females and 3,554 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown states 45.6% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 27.3% of county residents diagnosed with the disease don’t have a specified ethnicity and 27.2% are non-Hispanic.

By race, 67.8% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 29.3% are unknown or not specified, 2.3% are Black and 0.6% are Asian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported a new record-high increase in cases with 15,182 new confirmed COVID-19 cases tallied Tuesday. There have now been 1,184,250 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19, 21,549 fatalities and an estimated 976,517 recoveries from the disease as of Tuesday. There are currently 9,047 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 1,097 total coronavirus cases since March 1 — 1,031 among students and 66 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Monday. There are currently 76 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

As San Marcos Consolidated ISD brought back students at roughly 55% capacity in November, the district is reporting seven active COVID-19 cases — four among students and three among faculty and staff.