Hays County reports 9 new COVID-19 cases, more recoveries

The Hays County Local Health Department reported nine new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases Tuesday and three new recoveries.

The county currently has 115 active cases and has had 279 total cases, according to county epidemiologist Eric Schneider.

The local health department has received 3,588 negative tests and has 41 tests pending. Schneider said that all tests conducted at nursing homes within Hays County came back negative.

As of Tuesday, 161 county residents have recovered from the disease. There have been 28 hospitalizations caused by the coronavirus, including five current hospitalizations. 

Hays County has seen three fatalities since the first positive diagnosis of the disease on March 14 — A woman in her 80s who was living with a relative in Buda, a Wimberley resident in their 90s and a San Marcos resident who was in their 60s. 

Five of the nine new COVID-19 cases originate from Kyle, which has now seen 139 total cases and has 67 active cases. Buda tallied two new cases Tuesday, raising the total case count to 36 and active count to 14. San Marcos recorded two new cases, increasing its total case count to 74 with 26 active cases. 

Wimberley has seen 11 total and four active cases. Austin, within Hays County, has had seven total virus cases and has three active cases. Dripping Springs has had six total cases and has one active case. Driftwood and Niederwald have had two total cases each. Bear Creek and Uhland have each seen one total case. 

One-hundred-fifty-six females and 123 males have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in Hays County.

Sixty-four county residents diagnosed with COVID-19 are between 20-29 years old. Fifty-seven county residents who have been diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old. Fifty-five residents fall in the 50-59-year-old age range. Forty-three people diagnosed with the disease are 40-49 years old. Twenty-five patients are 60-69 years old, 11 are between 10-19 years old, 11 are 70-79 years old, nine are 80 and older and four are 9 years old or younger.

According to the county, only 10 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 traveled before becoming sick, while 269 residents had no travel history before becoming symptomatic. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Tuesday that 56,560 Texans have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and there have been 1,536 fatalities. The DSHS estimates that 36,375 Texans have recovered from the disease.

COVID-19 causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks for most people.