Hays County records 144 recoveries from COVID-19, 132 new cases Friday

For the third time in a week, Hays County reported more recoveries from COVID-19 than new cases.

The Hays County Local Health Department recorded 144 additional recoveries, 132 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases, six hospital discharges and four hospitalizations on Friday. 

Hays County considers 2,243 cases active — 12 fewer than Thursday — and there have been 23,630 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. Hays County has tallied 3,292 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 2,679 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Aug. 20, 2021.

Fifty-five county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 — 39 who are unvaccinated and eight who are fully vaccinated, according to the local health department. The county stated that of the 39 citizens hospitalized who are unvaccinated, 18 are not in the ICU, 17 are in the ICU and on a ventilator and 12 are in the ICU and not currently on a ventilator. Additionally, seven of the county residents hospitalized who are vaccinated are not in the ICU, while one is in the ICU on a ventilator. There have been 1,126 total hospitalizations as of Friday.

There have been 21,232 county residents who’ve recovered from the coronavirus following the 144 recoveries tallied Friday.

Hays County has recorded 296 coronavirus-related fatalities since the onset of the pandemic.

The local health department has received 212,962 negative tests and there have been 236,721 tests administered in Hays County. The positivity rate for Friday's report was approximately 12.58%. During its weekly audit, the county removed three cases for 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 39 new cases Friday. The city currently has 758 active cases — seven more than Thursday — and there have been 8,171 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 7,745 total cases, including 837 active cases. Buda has tallied 4,287 total cases and currently has 344 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 1,172 total cases and has 67 active cases. Wimberley has counted 1,047 total cases, including 112 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 678 total cases and has 53 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 323 total cases with 36 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 113 total cases, including six active cases. Mountain City has amassed 66 total cases with 11 currently considered active. Maxwell has had 56 total cases with one active case. Uhland has had 42 total cases and has one active case. Manchaca has recorded 29 total cases.

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

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 6,466 total cases tallied as of Friday. There are currently 528 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.

According to the local health department, 3,750 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 391 with active cases; 3,688 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 10-19 years old, including 382 cases considered active; 3,240 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 310 cases considered active; 2,317 are between 50-59 years old, including 208 active cases; 1,716 are 9 years old or younger with 223 cases considered active; and 1,469 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 119 are considered active cases.

Seven-hundred-eighteen Hays County residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, including 49 active cases; and 395 are 80 and older with 21 cases currently active.

The local health department reported that 12,378 females and 11,381 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There are currently 1,129 active cases among males in the county and there are 1,102 active cases among females. 

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.5% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 35.9% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 14.6% 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 11,762 lab-confirmed cases Friday. There have now been 2,879,074 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 53,738 fatalities as of Friday. There are currently 12,841 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Friday is 18.54%.

At Texas State University there have been 162 coronavirus cases recorded since Aug. 1 — 125 among students and 37 among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 110 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, 111,513 Hays County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, approximately 56.89% of 195,999 eligible residents who are 12 years or older. Additionally, 134,700 county residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose — 68.72% 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 Saturday, Aug. 21 at ACC Hays Campus — 1200 Kohlers Crossing, Building 1000 in Kyle — from 9 a.m. through 11 a.m.