Hays County on Monday reported 160 new cases of COVID-19, the disease linked to the coronavirus, bringing the county’s total of lab-confirmed cases to 1,871.
The county now has 1,477 active cases and 389 patients considered recovered. Of the 53 total hospitalizations so far, 14 people are currently hospitalized.
The number of negative tests is 5,865. Epidemiologist Eric Schneider is awaiting results on 59 tests.
“We can slow the spread of the virus,” Schneider said in a statement Monday, “but it will take the whole Hays County community.”
He continued to urge social distancing in public, washing hands and wearing masks to prevent transmission of COVID-19.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra last week had issued a new executive order that, among other things, requires businesses to implement rules requiring face coverings for “all employees or visitors to the commercial entity’s business premises or other facilities” when 6 feet of social distancing is not possible.
The order, which went into effect Monday, was modeled after a similar ordinance enacted in Bexar County that gained approval from Gov. Greg Abbott. Travis County also announced its own face mask order last week.
Schneider last week said many of the recently reported cases were from people who work in construction, health care and food service.
Schneider said the county has also noticed a pattern of positive coronavirus test results from people who floated on the rivers as well as from those who had participated in protests against police brutality and racism over the past few weeks.
“At this point, most of our residents should assume that they take the risk of coming into contact with someone who has COVID-19, as soon as they leave their homes,” he said Wednesday.
The breakdown of all 1,871 reported cases, which includes recoveries and active cases, by city is:
Austin (some Hays County addresses are listed in Austin): 17
Bear Creek: 1
Buda: 169
Driftwood: 8
Dripping Springs: 18
Kyle: 486
Manchaca: 1
Maxwell: 6
Mountain City: 1
Niederwald: 8
San Marcos: 1,132
Uhland: 2
Wimberley: 22
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