Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra reported an additional 16 cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Hays County, bringing the total number of lab-confirmed cases to 77 Wednesday, April 8.
Becerra attributed the large increase in confirmed cases to more testing taking place. For instance, if someone tests positive for COVID-19 all members of their household exhibiting symptoms will now be tested.
As of 4 p.m. April 8, there are 77 lab-confirmed cases in Hays County, 54 of which are considered active. There are currently 13 pending test results and two hospitalizations.
The two cities with the largest number of active cases in Hays County are Kyle with 23 active cases and San Marcos with 16. More information and a breakdown of the positive COVID-19 tests on April 8 by city and age can be found on the Hays County Website.
The county is also considering making a Centers for Disease Control guideline, advising people to wear cloth masks in public in order to prevent asymptomatic individuals from unknowingly spreading the virus to others, mandatory.
The City of San Marcos will be receiving over $6 million in federal funding for housing and transportation from a coronavirus relief package known as the CARES Act to help mitigate the potential spread of COVID-19. Additionally, San Marcos will be installing multiple public sanitizing stations which will include portable restrooms, sink stations and hand sanitizer stations as part of the city’s coordinated public health response to COVID-19 for use by Thursday, April 9.
The University Star will continue to provide COVID-19 updates as any additional information is released.
Individuals concerned about possible exposure to COVID-19 are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider or the Hays County Local Health Department at 512.393.5520. For additional information about COVID-19, visit the Texas Department of State Health Services or the Centers for Disease Control website.
The University Star’s COVID-19 coverage can be found here.