While all COVID-19 counts in Hopkins County rose on Friday, the overall COVID-19 hospitalizations in Trauma Service Area F were down the lowest they’ve been since Dec. 21 , according to the Texas Department of State Health Service Jan. 29 COVID-19 dashboard. And, Hopkins County was left off the list of providers allocated new first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for the week of Feb. 1.
Case Counts
DSHS reported that 93 Hopkins County COVID-19 fatalities. That 1 more Hopkins County resident has been confirmed by death certificate to have died from COVID-19. The latest death, according to the Jan. 29 COVID-19 County Trends dashboard, occurred on Jan. 23. That is the 10th Hopkins County resident who has been confirmed to have died in January for COVID-19.
A total of 1,359 Hopkins County residents have received lab-confirmed positive molecular COVID-19 results since March, including six new cases on Friday. That makes 22 new confirmed cases so far this week, six less than the first six days of last week and 38 less than Jan. 10-16, and 22 less than Jan. 3-9. Overall, 237 new confirmed CVOID-19 cases had been reported for Hopkins County during the first 29 days of January, but still 50 less than Dec. 1-29. The only other month with more new cases than December was October when 323 new cases were reported.
Twice as many new probable cases were reported on Friday as confirmed cases. The 12 new probable cases increases the total so far this week to 28, DSHS Jan. 29 COVID-19 Case Counts dashboard, eight more than during the first six days of last week, a dozen more than Jan. 10-5 and 21 less than Jan. 3-8. So far this month, 150 new probable cases have been reported for Hopkins County. Since the state began tracking positive antigen results and those of people who have or had a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 without a more likely diagnosis, according to the Jan. 29 COVID-19 Case Counts dashboard.
Six additional Hopkins County residents had recovered from COVID-19 on Friday, increasing the total so far this week to 63 recoveries. This month 353 Hopkins County residents have recovered from COVID-19. Of the 2,626 Hopkins County COVID-19 cases, 2,406 recovered.
That leaves 127 Hopkins County residents who still had COVID-19 on Friday, Jan. 29.
Hospital Reports
The patient count in CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs increased from 18 on Wednesday and Thursday to 20 on Friday, the same as on Jan. 22, but still a dozen less than on Jan. 7 and 8, according to the Jan. 29 COVID-19 update from Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management.
Across Trauma Service Area F the COVID-19 patient count dropped from 168 on Wednesday to 158 on Thursday, the lowest patient count since Dec. 21, when the patient count rose from the 154 reported on Jan. 20 to 159.
The decrease in COVID-19 patients, coupled with a rise in staffed beds from 1,068 to 1,073 and in staffed inpatient beds from 976 to 981 on Thursday, lowered the percentage of hospital capacity COVID-19 patients comprise from 15.73 on Jan. 27 to 14.73 on Jan. 28. Six more consecutive days below the 15 percent threshold and businesses will be able to again open at 75 percent capacity and restrictions on elective surgeries will be lifted throughout TSA-F.
COVID-19 Testing
HC/SSEM’s Jan. 29 COVID-19 update also reported 8,887 molecular COVID-19 tests have been conducted at 128-A Jefferson Street since the Red Cross building was opened as a free COVID-19 testing center on Sept. 25, including 71 tests performed on Thursday.
A total of 13,916 viral or molecular COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Hopkins County since March. Since the state began tracking the data, 1,728 antigen tests and 1,769 antibody tests have also been conducted in Hopkins County, including the 36 antigen tests performed on Thursday. No additional antibody tests have been performed since Tuesday, and only three then. Cumulatively, that’s at least 17,413 COVID-19 tests performed in Hopkins County.
Free oral swab COVID-19 testing will continue to be offered from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays in January inside the Red Cross (old Fidelity Express Building) in Sulphur Springs. Free testing is open to anyone regardless of age or address. Registration is required online at www.GoGetTested.com in order to be tested at 128-A Jefferson Street in Sulphur Springs.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Texas has been allocated 520,425 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government for the week of Feb. 1. DSHS has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship those doses to 344 providers in 166 counties across Texas.
According to DSHS, “That includes 82 hub providers that will focus on broader community vaccination efforts including the hardest hit populations and areas in exchange for a steady supply of vaccine from week to week. 262 other providers will receive doses next week, including more than 100 federally qualified health centers, community health centers, and rural health clinics that typically provide primary care for underserved populations.
Unfortunately, when the lists by county were released Friday afternoon, no providers in Hopkins County made the state list to administer a first dose of the vaccine to more people.
The state is also ordering 188,225 doses intended as the second dose for people first vaccinated a few weeks ago. People should return to the same provider to receive their second dose.
Texas providers have administered nearly 2.2 million doses of vaccine. More than 1.75 million people have received at least one dose, and more than 410,000 have been fully vaccinated. People are not required to be vaccinated in their county of residence, and vaccine has been administered to residents of all 254 counties, DSHS reported Friday.
In Hopkins County, 2,040 people have received at least the first half of the COVID-19 vaccine, which means 28 additional people received at least part of the vaccine on Thursday. So far 295 people have received both doses of the vaccine in Hopkins County, including 20 who received their second dose on Jan. 28, and 1,745 have received the first dose of the vaccine, including eight new people on Thursday.
In Texas, the vaccine is currently open to health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, people 65 and older and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.
Supplies of the vaccine are limited based on the manufacturers’ ability to produce it. Thus, DSHS reports, there currently is not enough vaccine to supply every provider with vaccine every week.
DSHS said of the other vaccines in clinical trials, Johnson & Johnson is likely the closest to requesting authorization for its vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration. In fact, the state agency reports, J&J could make the request as early as next month.
People can find more information on COVID-19 vaccine at dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx or the Texas Vaccine Data dashboard.
Click here a full list of vaccine allocations for the week of Feb. 1.
For a list of vaccination hub provider and their contact information, click the link above.
Click this link to see the DSHS/Texas Department of Emergency Management map of vaccine providers.
