WilCo Coronavirus Count 6,425, Death Count Rises To 90

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — There have been 6,425 cases of the coronavirus in Williamson County since the onset of the respiratory illness, according to the latest data, and the historical death count has grown to 90.

The data are found on the Williamson County and Cities Health District statistical dashboard that is updated daily. According to that dashboard, 187 new cases of the illness were reported over the past 24 hours.

Statistics on the dashboard also show 5,577 recoveries. But recovery data have recently come into question as to the accuracy of the numbers. Health district officials explain on the website: "Recoveries are not a reportable condition to public health, therefore, recovery data are not absolute and are to be used for estimating purposes only. No trends or other inferences should be drawn from these data. The numbers posted represent a point in time snapshot and may fluctuate throughout the day. Deaths and recovered are included in the total positive cases. Hospital capacity data are only representative of the hospitals that have reported in the last 24 hours. These data are provisional and are subject to change at any time."

Other changes have occurred lately that have affected the daily illness count. Recently, the Texas Department of State Health Services ended its reliance on local reports in favor of death certificates to calculate fatalities. The methodology change affected the Williamson County count immediately, dropping the death count last week to 77 from the previous 90.

Such changes continue in the local count as a result, as health district officials explain on the dashboard: "The total number of deaths are now reported and verified by the Texas Department of State Health Services. DSHS is now using death certificates, instead of local health district reports, to count COVID-19 fatalities. DSHS fatality counts may be significantly lower than previously reported."

Read more about the WilCo changes in fatalities count here

Another recent change at the local level in terms of coronavirus reporting is an an end to a longstanding tradition in Williamson County to issue separate news releases whenever a death or multiple ones were reported by the health district. Such news releases included attendant words of comfort for affected families from Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell as an added touch not seen in larger cities.

But when the illness count reached 90 under the old methodolology standards — a count later downgraded to 77 given the new calculation methods — Williamson County opted to end the tradition.

Other data on the county statistical dashboard include statistics related to the availability of hospital resources amid continuing reach of coronavirus. As of Friday, a mere 27 percent of hospital beds were available countywide, along with 23 percent of intensive care unit beds. Ventilators are more plentiful, according to the dashboard, with a 71 percent availability rate.