WilCo Reports 118 New Coronavirus Cases, 2 New Deaths

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County health officials reported 118 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, bringing the historical count for the region to 7,011. In addition, two new deaths over a 24-hour period increased the fatality count to 95.

The data are found on a statistical dashboard maintained daily by the Williamson County and Cities Health District. According to the dashboard, 76 patients were hospitalized — including 30 being treated at intensive care units and another 18 placed on ventilators.

The data reflect a dwindling number of hospital resources amid the illness scourge. According to the dashboard, 25 percent of hospital beds and 23 percent of ICU beds are available. Ventilators are more plentiful, with a 75 percent availability rate.

Given recent changes in methodology, the numbers should be viewed as estimates. County officials in late July announced a change in the way fatalities are tallied to match counting methods by the Texas Department of State Health Services now reliant on death certificates rather than local health district reports.

While standardizing data collection, health officials acknowledged the new counting method yields a reporting lag as death certificates sometimes are issued up to three months after a fatality, county officials explained.

"The total number of deaths are now reported and verified by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS)," county officials wrote on the dashboard. "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 this changed calculation method.

Dashboard data show 5,637 recoveries, representing 80.4 percent of cases. Health officials also noted 1,279 active cases. The current seven-day rolling positivity rate is 8.25 percent, according to the data. Recovery data, however, should be viewed only as rough estimates.

"Recoveries are not a reportable condition to Public Health, therefore, recovery data are not absolute and are to be used for estimating purposes only," health officials wrote. "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."

Williamson County officials also recently stopped issuing news releases detailing deaths as they once did, providing the age range and gender of coronavirus victims. Once distinguishing itself from other areas with the notices — which included personal notes expressing condolences to victims' families from Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell — the practice ceased on Aug. 1.