WilCo Reports 42 New Coronavirus Cases, 2 New Deaths

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Health officials in Williamson County on Tuesday reported 42 new cases of the coronavirus after a delayed update to its statistics driven by a record backlog. In addition, two new deaths were reported.

The added figures bring the historical number of cases to 7,789 and the number of fatalities in the county to 115. The data are found on a Williamson County and Cities Health District dashboard that is continually updated.

On that dashboard, the number of patients currently hospitalized stands at 80, including 27 being treated at intensive care units and 17 on ventilators. Hospital resources continue to dwindle, with 21 percent of hospital beds available, along with 17 percent of intensive care unit beds. The dashboard also shows a more plentiful availability of ventilators, with 86 percent.

Amid the grim statistics, there is a hopful metric: The number of known active cases continues to drop, as has the rolling seven-day positivity rate now at 8.13 percent.

The age range and gender of the two people who were the latest to die of the respiratory illness was unknown. The county on Aug. 1 ended its practice of providing the information in separate news advisories with each reported death(s), news releases that invariably included words of condolences from Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell. County officials now direct residents to the statistics-laden dashboard for information lacking the more personal and now-canceled missives from Gravell.