Kyle woman dies of COVID-19, 64 new cases recorded Thursday

A Kyle woman in her 70s has died of COVID-19, raising the coronavirus-related death toll to 202. 

The Hays County Local Health Department also reported 78 additional recoveries, 64 new lab-confirmed cases, six hospital discharges and three hospitalizations on Thursday. 

The county stated that 1,544 COVID-19 cases are considered active — a 15-case decrease since Wednesday — and there have been 15,858 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within Hays County on March 14, 2020. There have been 2,643 active cases over the last 21 days as of Thursday. The county stated that there have been 1,759 probable cases spanning from April 2020 through Feb. 10, 2021.

Thirty-one county residents are currently hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 707 total hospitalizations following the fluctuation between hospitalizations and hospital discharges reported on Thursday. Some patients hospitalized by COVID-19 are in hospitals outside of Hays County but are included in the county’s numbers if they reside within Hays County, the local health department said. 

There have now been 14,112 county residents who have recovered from the coronavirus with the 78 recoveries recorded Thursday. 

The local health department has received 116,587 negative tests and there have been 132,445 tests administered in Hays County. 

San Marcos reported 16 new cases on Thursday. There are currently 398 active cases in San Marcos — four more than Wednesday — and there have been 5,699 total cases. 

Kyle has recorded 5,139 total cases, including 563 active cases. Buda has tallied 2,783 total cases and currently has 282 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 717 total cases and has 74 active cases. Wimberley has counted 617 total cases, including 93 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 89 active cases and has had 458 total cases. Driftwood has recorded 197 total cases and has 15 active cases. Niederwald has had 88 total cases and has five active cases. Maxwell has had 53 total cases and has 12 active cases. Mountain City has amassed 38 cases and two active cases. Uhland has had 28 total cases and currently has one active case. Manchaca has recorded 23 total cases and has five active cases.

Woodcreek has three active cases and has tallied seven total. Creedmoor has had four total cases, including two active cases. Bear Creek has amassed four total cases. 

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 4,534 total cases tallied Thursday.

According to the local health department, 2,444 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old; 2,306 are 10-19 years old; 2,136 people fall in the 40-49-year-old age range; 1,606 are between 50-59 years old; and 1,041 county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are 60-69 years old.

Nine-hundred-ninety-three residents who've contracted COVID-19 are 9 years old or younger, 512 are 70-79 years old and 286 are 80 and older.

The local health department reported that 8,259 females and 7,599 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown stated 49.2% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 33.5% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 17.3% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.4% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 26.8% are unknown or not specified, 2.7% are Black, 1% are Asian and 0.1% are American Indian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported there have now been 2,196,882 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19 and 39,771 fatalities as of Thursday. There are currently 8,933 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 2,080 total coronavirus cases since March 1, 2020 — 1,864 among students and 216 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Thursday.  There are currently 140 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

San Marcos Consolidated ISD reported eight active COVID-19 cases — four among students and four among staff — for the week of Feb. 1-5.

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 clinics moved as winter weather anticipated Monday

The Hays County Local Health Department and Hays County Office of Emergency Services announced Thursday that it will move next week’s scheduled COVID-19 vaccine clinics from Monday to Wednesday.

Those who have an appointment scheduled on Monday for their second dose at San Marcos High School will receive an email that their appointment will be moved to Wednesday due to anticipated severe weather conditions, the county said. Appointment times will remain the same as they would have Monday, only the date is changing.  

The county said those who received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose at San Marcos High School are on a list to receive the second dose on Wednesday at the same location regardless if a confirmation email has been received. 

The county said emails for first-dose appointments will be sent out soon. Hays County’s next first-dose clinic is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in Dripping Springs. If the county sends an email to you, it will have all additional details. The county states to make sure to check spam/junk mail folders just in case.