DSHS reports new COVID-19 death

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported the eighth COVID-19 death of the year for Bandera County last week, bringing the total death count as of Sunday afternoon to 73.

Since 2020, DSHS has reported 2,500 cases of confirmed COVID-19 cases and 993 probable cases. Of those, 626 confirmed and 207 probable cases have been reported this year.

To date, there have been 6.575 million confirmed COVID-19 cases in Texas and 83,648 deaths reported, according to DSHS.

DSHS date says the county’s vaccination rate continues to creep upward, with 51.85 percent of residents age five and up having received at least one dose of a vaccine, and 45.27 percent of that same age range being fully vaccinated.

Statewide the number of new cases of COVID-19 dropped 40 percent from last week, although the number of new deaths reported in Texas increased compared to last week, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Center.

DSHS reported hospitalizations were down statewide by 30 percent compared to last week, a trend matched by Peterson Health, who reported 14 hospitalizations compared to last week’s 16.