COVID-19: Taylor County adds 1 death, 47 cases Wednesday

The Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District on Wednesday reported one death attributed to COVID-19, as well as 47 new cases and 77 recoveries.

A total of 501 people in the county have died from the disease since the pandemic began.

Of the 47 new cases, 25 were confirmed via polymerase chain reaction tests. 

Active cases total 1,228 (378 PCR cases and 850 confirmed by antigen tests). A week ago, active cases numbered 1,495. 

Hendrick Health on Tuesday reported 59 COVID-19 inpatients at its three facilities, with 22 in ICU. On Monday, there were 68 COVID-19 inpatients, including 22 in ICU. 

The breakdown Tuesday by facilities was 53 inpatients at the Abilene hospitals (19 in ICU), and six at the Brownwood hospital (three in ICU). 

Of the 59 Hendrick COVID-19 inpatients, 51 were not fully vaccinated, while 21 of the 22 ICU patients were not fully vaccinated. 

The percentage of COVID-19 inpatients in the 16-county Abilene trauma service area was 7.72% of total hospital capacity Tuesday, compared to 9.49% Monday and 9.03% Sunday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services COVID-19 database. 

The Abilene trauma service area had on Wednesday 76 COVID-19 inpatients, 11 fewer than reported by the state on Tuesday.

Coronavirus by the numbers

Abilene/Taylor County (updated Wednesday): New cases, 47; PCR cases, 9,515; active PCR cases, 378; total antigen probable cases, 13,105; total active antigen cases, 850; total PCR recoveries, 8,947; total antigen recoveries, 11,944; Total deaths, 501.

Texas (updated Wednesday): Total cases, 3,478,389; New cases, 3,987; Active cases (estimated), 129,718; Hospitalized, 4,739; Fatalities, 68,313; New fatalities, 270; Total tests, 44,211,819; Recovered (estimated), 3,966,492.

Big Country estimated active cases (as tracked by the state): Jones, 142; Howard, 76; Brown, 55; Scurry, 48; Nolan, 34; Stephens, 34; Erath, 26; Eastland, 20; Callahan, 20; Mitchell, 17; Coke, 15; Comanche, 11; Haskell, 9; Fisher, 8; Coleman, 7; Knox, 7; Runnels, 5; Shackelford, 3; Kent, 1; Stonewall, 1; and Throckmorton, 0.

Select West Texas counties estimated active cases: Randall (Canyon), 1,164; Lubbock, 1,162; Potter (Amarillo), 1,018; Midland, 834; Wichita (Wichita Falls), 790; Ector (Odessa), 628; Tom Green (San Angelo), 297; Moore, 82; Hale (Plainview), 75.

Sources: City of Abilene, Texas Department of State Health Services (counts PCR cases only) 

SELECT PRISONS (Tuesday update)

Daniel (Snyder): Staff cases – active, 1. Inmate cases – active, 2, medical isolation, 2. 

Havins (Brownwood): Staff cases – active, 2; Inmate cases – active, 0, medical isolation, 0. 

Middleton (Abilene): Staff cases – active, 11; Inmate cases – active, 133, medical isolation, 134. 

Robertson (Abilene): Staff cases – active, 7; Inmate cases – active, 2, medical isolation, 3. 

Sayle (Breckenridge): Staff cases – active, 1; Inmate cases – active, 24;  medical isolation, 24.

Wallace (Colorado City): Staff cases – active, 3; Inmate cases – active, 0, medical isolation, 0. 

Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice COVID-19 website. 

SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Abilene ISD: Reported Tuesday 11 new cases (seven students, four staff members), which is 10 fewer than Monday. New cases by campus: two students and two staff members at Cooper High, one student at Abilene High, two students at Mann Middle, one student at Dyess Elementary, one student at Taylor Elementary, one staff member at Purcell Elementary and one staff member at Long Elementary.

Active cases total 78 (54 students, 24 staff members), compared to 76 Monday. Since Aug. 3, the district has reported 1,134 cases (918 students, 216 staff members).

Wylie ISD: Reported Tuesday five new student cases – four of them at East Elementary. Active cases total 15 (12 students, three staff members), which is four more than reported Monday. 

Active cases by campus: one student at West Junior High, one student at East Junior High, one student at West Intermediate and nine students and three staff members at East Elementary. 

Abilene Christian University: Reported Tuesday one new case, with five active cases, the same number of active cases as Monday. Five people are in quarantine due to possible exposure. Of the active cases, 40% are unvaccinated. Cumulative cases since Aug. 17 total 156.

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