Texas Change In Coronavirus Death Count Adds 675 Fatalities

AUSTIN, TX — The historical fatality count stemming from the coronavirus in Texas grew by 675 after the state changed its method of reporting now reliant on death certificates rather than local reports on Monday, officials said.

As a result of the change, more than 12 percent of the Lone Star State's death toll has gone unreported prior to the change in methodology implemented on Monday. Death certificates will now be used to count the numbers rather than local and regional public health departments' data, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) officials said.

"DSHS is now reporting COVID-19 fatality data based on death certificates," health district officials wrote on the dashboard. "A fatality is counted as a COVID-19 fatality when the medical certifier attests on the death certificate that COVID-19 is a cause of death."

The upshot: Death certificate data have identified 5,713 fatalities among Texas residents, including 44 newly reported Monday, officials said. That compares with 5,038 deaths reported Sunday under the previous method, officials added.

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The historical illness count was 385,923 as of Monday, as indicated on the dashboard. Another 4,267 cases were reported, 146,836 active cases. The data also indicate an estimated 229,107 recoveries, but a disclaimer cautions as to the accuracy of the metric.:

"This number is an estimate based on several assumptions related to hospitalization rates and recovery times, which were informed by data available to date," health district officials wrote on the dashboard. "These assumptions are subject to change as we learn more about COVID-19. The estimated number does not include data from any cases reported prior to 3/24/2020."

The changed methodology also alters the death count reckoning as it relates to rates by race and ethnicity. On the dashboard prior to Monday, many deaths — up to 18 percent in some cases — reportedly were logged as "unknown."

The newly revised data shows a disproportionate fatality rate among Hispanics, representing 47 percent of the total although the segment represents just 40 percent of the state's overall population. White residents account for 35 percent of deaths and their Black counterparts account for 35 percent of fatalities.

According to the dashboard, the counties with the greatest number of recorded deaths are:

• Harris: 1,110.
• Dallas: 581.
• Bexar: 480.
• Tarrant: 338.
• Cameron: 272.
• Hidalgo: 244.
• El Paso: 216.
• Travis: 204.
• Fort Bend: 120.
• Galveston: 89.
• Williamson: 74.

For more information, visit the Texas Department of State Health Services dashboard.