Hays County reports 17 new COVID-19 cases

Editor’s note: The Hays County Local Health Department did not release a full report Friday. Up-to-date information on cases per city and demographics are not available at this time.

The Hays County Local Health Department reported 17 new COVID-19 cases Friday. 

There have now been 3,067 total cases within the county since the first diagnosis of the virus on March 14. 

The local health department’s 17-newly reported cases marks the lowest amount of cases recorded since May, however, the county stated that the number is likely lower because many labs and providers observed Friday for the Fourth of July holiday. 

The county also said that a demographic breakdown for cases provided over the Independence Day holiday would be reported in Monday’s update. 

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 7,555 new COVID-19 cases Friday. The DSHS reports that 183,532 Texans have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, there have been 2,575 fatalities and there have been an estimated 93,572 Texans who have recovered from the disease. According to the DSHS, there are 7,652 Texans currently hospitalized by 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. The disease, however, can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death, especially for older adults and people with existing health problems.