Hays County reports 82 COVID-19 recoveries, 43 new cases Tuesday

The Hays County Local Health Department tallied 82 recoveries from COVID-19, 43 new lab-confirmed cases and one hospitalization on Tuesday.

There are currently 843 active coronavirus cases — a 39-case decrease since Monday — and there have been 7,853 total cases since the first diagnosis of the virus within Hays County on March 14. The local health department also reported that there have been 1,175 active cases over the last 21 days — a 61-case decrease since Monday. The county reported that there have been 934 probable cases spanning from April through Dec. 8. 

There are currently 12 county residents hospitalized by COVID-19 and there have been 450 total hospitalizations with the one hospitalization reported Tuesday. 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 the county, the local health department said.

Hays County has now had 6,906 residents recover from the disease as of Tuesday. 

There have been 106 coronavirus-related fatalities since the first diagnosis of the virus within the county’s boundaries. 

The local health department has received 56,044 negative tests and there have been 63,899 tests administered in Hays County.

Epidemiologist Ian Harris said Hays County is still seeing “many new confirmed cases each day.”

“The virus is still active in our community,” Harris said. “Each of us needs to do what we can to protect the most vulnerable among us, which includes wearing masks, washing our hands and staying away from gatherings of people.”

San Marcos, which has tallied the most coronavirus cases in the county, saw a three-case decrease in active cases on Tuesday. There are currently 68 active COVID-19 cases and there have been 3,136 total cases.

Kyle has tallied 2,563 total cases, including 332 active cases. Buda has recorded 1,315 total cases and currently has 224 active cases. Dripping Springs has amassed 303 total cases and has 94 active cases. Austin, within Hays County, currently has 67 active cases and has had 185 total cases. Wimberley has tallied 156 total cases, including 20 active cases. Driftwood has recorded 93 total cases and has 28 active cases. Niederwald has had 38 total cases and has six active cases. Uhland has had 23 total cases.

Maxwell has had nine total cases. Manchaca has had nine total cases, including one active case. Bear Creek has had three total cases. Woodcreek has had two total cases.

The 20-29-age-range has recorded the most COVID-19 cases with 2,535 total cases tallied as of Tuesday.

According to the local health department, 1,243 county residents diagnosed with the disease are between 30-39 years old, while 1,013 people diagnosed with the coronavirus are 40-49 years old and 1,005 residents fall in the 10-19-year-old age range. Seven-hundred-eighty-one county residents diagnosed with COVID-19 are between 50-59 years old, 497 are 60-69 years old, 341 are 9 years old or younger, 267 are 70-79 years old and 173 are 80 and older.

According to the local health department, 4,085 females and 3,770 males in Hays County have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

The county’s ethnic breakdown states 45.65% of county residents diagnosed with the coronavirus are Hispanic, while 28.8% of county residents diagnosed with the disease are non-Hispanic and 25.55% don’t have a specified ethnicity.

By race, 69.6% of county residents who’ve had COVID-19 are white, 27.3% are unknown or not specified, 2.4% are Black and 0.7% are Asian.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported there have now been 1,272,504 Texans diagnosed with COVID-19, 22,808 fatalities and an estimated 1,050,416 recoveries from the disease as of press time on Tuesday. There are currently 9,028 Texans hospitalized by the coronavirus, according to the DSHS.

At Texas State University there have been 1,193 total coronavirus cases since March 1 — 1,130 among students and 79 among faculty and staff — as of press time on Tuesday. There are currently 110 active cases, according to the university’s dashboard.

As San Marcos Consolidated ISD brought back students at roughly 55% capacity in November, the district is reporting 16 active COVID-19 cases — 10 among faculty and staff and six among students.