Man In His 60s Latest To Die Of Coronavirus In Williamson County

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — A man in his 60s from Williamson County died of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, raising the historical fatality count blamed on the illness to 51. The death brings to 16 the number of people to die of the virus in the county in about a two-week span amid rising rates of illness.

“This was a difficult week for Williamson County with the news of several lives lost forever due to COVID-19," Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in a prepared statement. "As we enter yet another weekend, please keep in mind how our actions may impact those around us. Preserving our health and keeping those we love healthy is of the utmost importance right now, even if that means wearing a mask and staying six feet apart.”

Officials are precluded from divulging further identifying details given patient privacy laws. News of the man's death comes one day after two more deaths were reported, those of two men in their 50s and 70s. The day before that, two other men in their 70s succumbed to the powerful virus. A man in his 90s was reported to have died from the illness on Tuesday, preceded by the deaths of three more people on Monday.

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The week before that more deaths. On June 30, two women in their 50s and 80s were reported to have died of the illness. The day before, two more patients — men in their 40s and 80s — succumbed to the virus preceded the previous Sunday by a man in his 40s and days before that by the deaths of two elderly patients.

In a 24-hour span, the number of coronavirus cases grew by 212 to 3,654 on Friday as shown on the statistical dashboard maintained by the Williamson County and Cities Health District. The number of deaths remained unchanged at 51. There are 103 patients currently hospitalized, including 32 at being treated at intensive care units and 16 placed on ventilators.

The rising illness rates are reflected in dwindling hospital resources, as illustrated on the dashboard. Officials report 18 percent of hospital beds are currently available, along with 9 percent of ICU beds and 58 percent of ventilators.

Cities in Williamson County with the most confirmed cases of the respiratory illness are:

• Round Rock: 1,281 cases.
• Georgetown: 614 cases.
• Cedar Park: 415 cases.
• Hutto: 249 cases.
• Leander: 200 cases.

A piece of Austin within Williamson County jurisdiction is part of the count, with 239 cases. There is also a category with an "other" heading that represents communities with less than 20,000 population from where 431 cases have emerged. A health district spokesperson previously explained to Patch they're not allowed to reveal geographical specifics on illness sources with such sparse population.

For more information on the latest COVID-19 cases count in Williamson County, please visit the Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) dashboard located at www.wcchd.org/COVID-19/dashboard.php. The dashboard information is updated daily.

Those with symptoms of respiratory illness such as cough, fever and shortness of breath are urged to contact their health care providers. However, health officials stress the importance of calling ahead before arriving at a clinic, urgent care, or emergency department to avoid potential illness

spread. For information on the county response to COVID-19, go to www.wilco.org/COVID-19.

The Williamson County and Cities Health District is expected to release its updated figures of the coronavirus spread at 4:30 p.m. Refresh this page later for updates to this story reflecting those developments.