Texas Department of State Health Services’ Dec. 19 COVID-19 dashboard shows 7 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 17 new probable cases, 16 recoveries and two fatalities.
The seven new cases confirmed by molecular (PCR) testing make 70 new cases this week and 208 so far this month. Cumulatively, 1,040 Hopkins County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since March. That’s a 2.8 percent molecular positivity rate.
The Dec. 19 COVID-19 Texas Case Counts dashboard showed a cumulative total of 1,041 new probable COVID-19 cases for Hopkins County. That makes 65 new probable cases reported this week and 118 since the state began providing daily “probable” case counts on Dec. 11.
According to DSHS, using the definition adopted by the CDC, a probable case is reported when a person has either tested positive through an antigen test or has a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 without a more likely diagnosis.
DSHS’s dashboard showed 67 Hopkins County residents have died from COVID-19, two more than were reported on Dec. 18. COVID-19 fatalities are deaths for which COVID-19 is listed as a direct cause of death on the death certificate. A medical certifier, usually a doctor, determines the cause(s) of death. DSHS does not include deaths of people who had COVID-19 but died of an unrelated cause. Fatalities are reported by where the person lived as listed on the death certificate.
Dec. 19 is the fourth day the week and 10th day this month in which new COVID-19 deaths were announced. The most recent COVID-19 deaths occurred on Dec. 8, Dec. 13, Dec. 14 and Nov. 26. A total of nine Hopkins County residents are confirmed to have died so far this month. One additional death each was reported to have also occurred on Dec. 1, Dec. 2, Dec. 6 and Dec. 7; and two Hopkins County residents died from COVID-19 on Dec. 3, according to the “Fatalities Over Time by County” report.
The DSHS Dec. 19 COVID-19 dashboard showed a total of 1,856 of the total confirmed and probable cases had recovered from COVID-19 Friday, that’s 16 more Hopkins County residents who had recovered from COVID-19 at 3:45 p.m. Dec. 19. That makes 236 recoveries of Hopkins County residents who have lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases or are considered to be a probable virus case this week and 1,162 this month; that total includes 810 probable case recoveries recorded Dec. 11 on the DSHS dashboard for the first time.
That leaves 158 active COVID-19 case in Hopkins County on Dec. 19, six more than on Dec. 18.
In Trauma Service Area F on Dec. 19, there were 138 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients in TSA F hospitals, seven less than on Dec. 18; 1,082 total staffed hospital beds, 79 more than on Thursday; 624 total hospitalizations, 19 less than Dec. 18; and 990 total staffed inpatient beds, 21 less than Thursday.
COVID-19 patients accounted for 12.75 percent of the overall hospital capacity in TSA-F, down from 13.15 percent.
Available in TSA-F hospitals on Friday were 11 ICU beds (4 more), 68 ventilators (six more) and 366 hospital beds (2 less).
