WilCo To Stop Announcing Coronavirus Deaths As Count Reaches 90

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County health officials reported another death attributed to the coronavirus, bringing the historical fatality count to 90.

The latest county resident to die of the respiratory illness virus was a woman in her 60s, according to the Williamson County and Cities Health District. Officials are precluded from providing further details in adherence to patient privacy laws.

With news of the latest death — and the grim milestone of 90 fatalities reached — county health officials have decided to no longer issue news releases each time a person dies of the illness after the first week of August, according to an advisory. The death alerts represented one of the most direct ways of keeping residents apprised of fatalities, easing the process of having to dig through information on a statistics-laden dashboard maintained by Williamson County and Cities Health District officials.

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"Effective Aug. 1, Williamson County will no longer send out media releases when a COVID-19 related death occurs," officials wrote. "This information is available on the Williamson County and Cities Health District dashboard at http://www.wcchd.org/COVID-19/dashboard.php."

The health district offers updates mailed Monday through Friday, health officials added. Residents wishing to stay apprised are urged to receive those updates directly from the dashboard, officials added.

“It is with a heavy heart that we report the loss of another life in Williamson County," Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in a prepared statement. "I believe through prayer and standing together as a family we will come out of these trying times stronger. We will see a better tomorrow if we continue to support each other and follow proper safety measures to help reduce the spread of this deadly disease.”

Gravell consistently provided words of condolence and comfort each time deaths from the illness were reported. That custom, presumably, also will come to an end come early August.

News of the latest fatality comes one day after county health officials reported the fatalities of 10 people — the highest number reported in a single day — to bring the historical count to 89. However, health officials said nine of those deaths occurred between July 15-23, but a backlog of cases prevented earlier reporting.

The four men and six women reported to have succumbed to the illness included a man in his 70s and three others their 80s. One woman in her 50s died of the illness, along with two women in their 70s, another pair in their 80s and one in her 90s, officials said.

The death toll has across the county has significantly mounted in the last month-long period. A pair of deaths reported on Wednesday followed three more — a man in his 80s and two women in their 80s and 90s — reported the day before. On Monday, a man and woman in their 90s were reported to have died of the respiratory illness. The day before that, a woman in her 70s and a man in his 90s died of the illness, health officials reported.

On Saturday, three people were reported to have died — a man in his 60s, another in his 80s and a woman in her 80s. Last Friday (July 17), a woman in her 80s and a man in his 50s succumbed to the illness. The day before on Thursday, health officials reported four deaths in a single day — all women, ranging in ages from their 60s to their 90s. The day before that, five fatalities were reported in a 24-hour period — the highest number of fatalities in a single day, a county spokesperson told Patch. Those July 15 deaths involved a man in his 50s, another in his 70s, two women in their 80s and another in her 70s.

Related stories:

• WilCo Reveals 10 More Coronavirus Deaths, Fatality Count Now 89
• 2 More Coronavirus Deaths In WilCo Raises Fatality Count To 79
  
• 3 More Coronavirus Deaths In WilCo Raise Count To 77
  

Those with respiratory illness symptoms 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 coronavirus, visit the Williamson County municipal website.