Hays County reports 5 COVID-19-related fatalities Tuesday

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

An Austin man in his 80s; a Kyle woman in her 80s; a Kyle woman in her 70s; a San Marcos woman in her 60s; and a Buda woman in her 40s were among those who died from the coronavirus. Hays County has now recorded 303 COVID-19-related fatalities since the pandemic’s onset. 

The local health department also tallied 238 additional recoveries from COVID-19, 203 new cases, seven hospital discharges and six hospitalizations on Tuesday. 

Hays County considers 2,222 cases active — 40 fewer than Monday — and there have been 24,303 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. 

Hays County has tallied 3,163 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 2,721 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Aug. 23, 2021.

Forty-nine county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 — 38 who are unvaccinated and 11 who are fully vaccinated, according to the local health department. The county stated that of the 38 citizens hospitalized who are unvaccinated, 21 are in the ICU and on a ventilator, nine are in the ICU and not currently on a ventilator, eight are not in the ICU. Additionally, 10 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 1,140 total hospitalizations as of Tuesday.

There have been 21,785 county residents who’ve recovered from the coronavirus following the 238 recoveries tallied Tuesday.

The local health department has received 215,872 negative tests and there have been 240,182 tests administered in Hays County. The positivity rate for Tuesday's report was approximately 22.53%. 

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 35 new cases Tuesday. The city currently has 765 active cases — 35 less than Monday — and there have been 8,338 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 7,943 total cases, including 798 active cases. Buda has tallied 4,397 total cases and currently has 352 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 1,192 total cases and has 77 active cases. Wimberley has counted 1,070 total cases, including 107 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 696 total cases and has 61 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 332 total cases with 38 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 117 total cases, including eight active cases. Mountain City has amassed 67 total cases with eight 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 30 total cases with one currently considered active.

Woodcreek 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 6,579 total cases tallied as of Tuesday. There are currently 511 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.

According to the local health department, 3,843 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 395 with active cases; 3,801 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 10-19 years old, including 388 cases considered active; 3,314 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 308 cases considered active; 2,355 are between 50-59 years old, including 183 active cases; 1,774 are 9 years old or younger with 228 cases considered active; and 1,511 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 138 are considered active cases.

Seven-hundred-thirty Hays County residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, including 48 active cases; and 403 are 80 and older with 23 cases currently active.

The local health department reported that 12,638 females and 11,672 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There are currently 1,137 active cases among males in the county and there are 1,085 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 15,516 lab-confirmed cases Tuesday. There have now been 2,929,797 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 54,222 fatalities as of Tuesday. There are currently 13,666 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Tuesday is 15.76%.

At Texas State University there have been 260 coronavirus cases recorded since Aug. 1 — 211 among students and 49 among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 160 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, 112,618 Hays County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Monday, approximately 57.46% of 195,999 eligible residents who are 12 years or older. Additionally, 135,746 county residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose — 69.26% of the eligible population.

“No appointment needed” vaccine clinics are available Monday-Monday 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-Monday between 9 a.m.-12 p.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, MedPark Pharmacy, San Marcos Family Medicine and Sam’s Club Pharmacy. Visit https://hayscountytx.com/covid-19-information-for-hays-county-residents/ to see other locations across the county. Check with each location to see if an appointment is required or if walk-in is accepted.