Sometimes it’s good to be the last on the list, but Texas seems to be determined to move up when it comes to coronavirus cases.
And Hays County is helping to add to the figures, as its number of cases of COVID-19 continue to increase.
In Hays County, the first coronavirus case was reported March 13.
Weekly since then, confirmed cases and the number of new cases have increased in an upward curve:
According to a recent WalletHub study, Texas is one of the states with an upward trend in COVID-19 cases, ranking 16th in the nation in death rate per thousand and 24th in estimated transmission number (the average number of people to whom an infected person will transmit COVID-19).
According to the New York Times, which has been maintaining a database of every state and county in the nation regarding COVID-19, as of June 15, Texas has a total of 91,7271 cases, with 2,018 deaths.
There was a leveling out of cases toward the end of May, but since that time, the number of Texas cases has moved upwards.
Consider that Texas Governor Greg Abbott started phasing in a gradual opening of restaurants, retail stores and bars, with many doing business in a more open style by the end of May, and it’s not hard to see why the number of cases has increased.
In addition, with the protests of the death of George Floyd beginning around May 26 and continuing, specialists expect to see an even higher increase in coming weeks.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, said on ABC recently that he was concerned about the spike that could occur following the protest and demonstrations, and also about the opening of businesses when the curve of the pandemic had not yet flattened.
With reports that national guardsmen were infected at the protests, Fauci said he expected an increase in cases among demonstrators.
Physical separation is still important, and with congregations with demonstrations, “that’s taking a risk,” he said.
Regarding the flattening of the curve of new cases, some states, such as New York, has begun to see a levelling.
However, upwards of 12 states, including Texas, are reporting record seven-day averages, as reported in the Washington Post. Those states showing upward trends include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
Dr. Fauci was cautious about states opening up.
What people need to know is that when they open, “you still have to practice a degree of caution and carefully go through the practice of normalizing,” he said.
Even as businesses open and customers begin to shop, they should still wear a mask, have physical distancing, wash hands as often as possible can and avoid congregating in large numbers, Dr. Fauci said.
“Be careful and do it prudently,” Dr. Fauci said, regarding opening up of the economy.
Timeline of Confirmed Hays County Coronavirus cases
1 - March 13
6 - March 20
13 - March 26
47 - April 3
82 - April 10
121 - April 17
147 - April 23
167 - May 1
203 - May 8
221 - May 15
270 - May 23
329 - May 29
398 - June 5
1093 - June 16
Texas phases of opening
Phase 1 – May 1
Phase II – May 29
Phase III – June 3 with restaurants allowed to open at 75% June 12.
George Floyd protests began May 26
