Five Additional County Residents Confirmed This Month To Have Died From Coronavirus
COVID-19 seems to be declining across the state, and the county is not exception; Hopkins County continues to have fewer new cases as well as fewer active cases, but that doesn’t mean COVID-19 is as yet gone from Hopkins County.
While it’s as yet unclear whether the reduction in cases is because more people have become vaccinated for the virus this month, fewer are getting tested for the virus or there’s just less of the virus being spread in the community. It’s likely a combination of all three.
What is certain is the fact that the virus continues to be a serious threat for some. At least five additional Hopkins County residents have been confirmed this month to have died from COVID- although all five are deaths which occurred in September. None had yet to be reported for October as of the 14th.HOPKINS COUNTY COVID-19 CASE COUNTS Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Monthly Total Total
Since March 2020October 2021 93 78 — — — 171 5,255 September 2021 212 242 125 129 12 720 5,082 August 2021 78 145 125 162 61 571 4355
Fourteen days into September, 454 new COVID cases (284 lab-confirmed cases and 170 probable cases), 282 recoveries were reported, 6 COVID deaths occurred, although only three were confirmed during that time, for Hopkins County. During the first two weeks of October, a total of 129 COVID cases (102 lab-confirmed and 27 probable cases) and 228 recoveries were reported, and five additional COVID deaths confirmed. (All 5 occurred in September; COVID-19 deaths are counted as death certificates listing COVID as cause of death are received and recorded by Texas Office of Vital Statistics, and reported by county according to the deceased person’s zip code).
Recoveries began to rise the third week of September with 220 reported, only 42 less than during the two previous weeks combined, increasing the 21-day total to 502 recoveries. COVID recoveries have outpaced new COVID cases weekly since the third week of September, going from 125 new cases and 220 recoveries the week ending Sept. 21 to 129 new cases and 210 recoveries the week ending Sept. 28. During the two final days of September, 81 additional recoveries were reported but only 12 additional new cases. That put the final count for September at 720 new cases and 793 recoveries.
That trend continued into October, with a total of 171 new cases (143 molecular and 27 probable) and 228 recoveries reported for Hopkins County during the first 14 days of the month. That’s 93 new COVID cases and 109 recoveries reported Oct. 1-7, and 78 new cases and 119 additional recoveries Oct. 8-14.
The number of people being tested for COVID 19 has also declined in October. From Sept. 22 to Sept. 28, 2021, a total of 892 COVID tests were performed in Hopkins County, another 323 during the last 2 days of September. A total of 790 COVID tests were conducted in Hopkins County from Oct. 1 to Oct. 7, and 432 tests were conducted from Oct. 8-13. Whether that’s due to fewer people exhibiting symptoms or just being tested cannot be determined.
Regardless, the steady decline in cases and rise in recoveries over the last month has significantly reduced the active case count in Hopkins County from 498 on Sept. 14 to 388 on Sept. 21, then 306 on Sept. 28, with a small uptick to 263 active COVID cases on Sept. 29, then falling to 237 by the last day of the month. On Oct. 7, a total of 220 Hopkins County residents were reported to still actively have coronavirus on Oct. 7. One week later, only 176 county residents actively had COVID.
Another factor local health care officials contribute at least in part to the reduced cases is the fact that more people have been vaccinated for COVID-19 over the last month. As of the third week of Sept. 25, a total of 14,707 people in Hopkins County had received at least one dose of COVID vaccine and 12,395 were reported to be fully vaccinated for the virus. Another 55 had received at least one dose and 64 were reported to be fully vaccinated on Sept. 28. During the first week of October 155 additional people in Hopkins County had received at least one dose of the vaccine, 328 more had been fully vaccinated. As of Oct. 13, another 53 had received one dose, 145 more were fully vaccinated.
From Aug. 13 to Sept. 29 (the first day the state began reporting the number), a total of 406 people in Hopkins County had received a COVID booster shot. That number rose to 509 on Sept. 30, increased by 92 the first week of October and 71 more from Oct. 8-13, 2021.
Unfortunately, Texas Department of State Health Services has also received confirmation this month of five additional COVID-19 deaths. All five occurred in September, for a total of 12 Hopkins County residents who’ve been confirmed to have died last month from COVID-19. There had been no new deaths confirmed for October as of the 14th. That increases the total number of Hopkins County residents who’s deaths were directly attributed to COVID to 70 this year and 71 in 2020.
