Kyle man dies from COVID-19, County tallies 122 new cases Thursday

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

Hays County has now recorded 367 coronavirus-related fatalities since the pandemic’s onset. 

The local health department also tallied 151 additional recoveries from COVID-19, 122 new lab-confirmed cases, three hospital discharges and one hospitalization on Thursday, which included information from Curative testing sites that went unreported Wednesday. 

The county considers 1,099 cases active — 30 fewer than Wednesday — and there have been 28,564 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within its boundaries on March 14, 2020. The county has tallied 2,025 COVID-19 cases over the past 21 days. There have been 3,168 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Sept. 30, 2021.

Thirty-six county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 — 29 who are unvaccinated and seven who are fully vaccinated, according to the local health department. The county stated that of the 29 citizens hospitalized who are unvaccinated, 17 are in the ICU and on a ventilator, 10 are in the ICU and not currently on a ventilator and two are non-ICU patients. Additionally, five of the seven residents who are hospitalized and fully vaccinated are currently non-ICU patients, while one in the ICU and on a ventilator and one is in the ICU and not currently on a ventilator. There have been 1,295 total hospitalizations as of Thursday. 

There have been 27,098 county residents who’ve recovered from the coronavirus following the 151 recoveries tallied Thursday.

The local health department has received 255,450 negative tests and there have been 284,014 tests administered in Hays County. The positivity rate for Thursday’s report was approximately 5.9%.

San Marcos tallied 29 new cases Thursday. The city currently has 304 active cases — 11 less than Wednesday — and there have been 9,675 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 9,246 total cases, including 367 active cases. Buda has tallied 5,118 total cases and currently has 163 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 1,370 total cases and has 42 active cases. Wimberley has counted 1,492 total cases, including 123 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had 802 total cases and has 38 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 441 total cases with 27 cases considered active. Niederwald has had 136 total cases, including 10 active cases. Mountain City has amassed 75 total cases. Maxwell has had 73 total cases, including 12 active cases. Uhland has had 53 total cases and has three active cases. Manchaca has recorded 53 total cases with nine currently considered active. Woodcreek has recorded 12 total. 

Bear Creek has amassed eight total cases, including one active case. Creedmoor has recorded seven total cases. Hays has reported three total cases.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 7,328 total cases tallied as of Thursday. There are currently 144 active cases among 20-29 year olds in Hays County.

According to the local health department, 4,813 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 10-19 years old, including 265 cases considered active; 4,468 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old with 153 with active cases; 3,869 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range with 150 cases considered active; 2,681 are between 50-59 years old, including 97 active cases; 2,407 are 9 years old or younger with 181 cases considered active; and 1,721 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old and 61 are considered active cases.

Eight-hundred-twenty-nine Hays County residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 70-79 years old, including 38 active cases; and 448 are 80 and older with 10 cases currently active.

The local health department reported that 14,866 females and 13,698 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19. There are currently 578 active cases among females in the county and there are 521 active cases among males. 

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.1% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 37.1% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 13.8% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.7% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 24.8% are unknown or not specified, 3.3% are Black, 1% are Asian, 1% are listed as other and 0.1% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported an additional 8,285 lab-confirmed cases Thursday. There have now been 3,377,737 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 63,976 fatalities as of Thursday. There are currently 9,005 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS. The statewide positivity rate as of Thursday is 11.37%.

At Texas State University there have been 1,603 coronavirus cases recorded since Aug. 1 — 1,488 among students and 115 among faculty and staff — at the time of publication. There are currently 106 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD reported 22 active COVID-19 cases as of Thursday — 18 among 8,000 SMCISD students and four among 1,230 faculty and staff members. 

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.

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, 123,057 Hays County residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, approximately 62.78% of 195,999 eligible residents who are 12 years or older. Additionally, 143,359 county residents have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose — 73.14% of the eligible population. DSHS data states that 4,849 county residents have received a COVID-19 booster shot.

“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 drive-thru vaccine clinic will soon be offered Monday-Friday by MD Diagnostics at Old Walnut Springs School, 300 Sportsplex, in Dripping Springs from 10 a.m. until 6 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, B&J 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.