The good news in the Feb. 2 COVID-19 updates is that COVID-19 hospitalization continue to decrease locally, in Trauma Service Area F and across the state this week. Unfortunately, one additional Hopkins County COVID-19 fatality and 19 new COVID-19 cases were reported for Hopkins County on Tuesday.
Hospital Reports
Hopkins County/Sulphur Springs Emergency Management, in the Feb. 2 COVID-19 update reported the patient count in CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs COVID Unit dipped from 14 on Monday to 12 on Tuesday. That’s the least number of patients reported by HC/SSEM to be in the unit since Oct. 29, when the CMFH-SS COVID unit housed only 11 patients. The next nearest was Nov. 4, when the COVID unit was reported to have 13 patients. The patient count has been steadily declining from 26 patients on Jan. 19, which was down from 32 patients Jan. 7–Jan. 8.
That reflects a trend across the state over the last week of declining COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to Texas Department of State Health Services Feb. 2 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard. A total of 11,002 COVID-19 patients were in Texas hospitals on Monday, 72 less than on Sunday, and 198 less than Saturday, 471 less than Friday, 979 less than Thursday, 1378 less than on Wednesday and 1,793 less than Tuesday and 1,849 less COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals on Feb. 1 than last Monday, Jan. 25. That’s down 3,216 from Jan. 11 when the COVID-19 patient count peaked at 14,218 across the state and 241 in Trauma Service Area F.
The COVID-19 patient count in Trauma Service Area F has remained below 200 since Jan. 20, and below 175 since Jan. 25. The patient count dropped from 177 on Jan. 24 to 167 on Jan. 25-26 and to 143 on Jan. 29 — the lowest in the last 38 days (the period during which TSA-F began experiencing “high hospitalizations,” that is days in which COVID-19 hospitalizations amounted to 15 percent or more of the total hospital capacity in the service area). The COVID-19 patient count on Monday, Feb. 1, was just one patient shy of that mark again on Feb. 1, with 143 COVID-19 patients in TSA-F hospitals.
Monday was the fifth day in which COVID-19 hospitalizations were less than 15 percent of the overall hospital capacity in TSA-F, which means two more consecutive days under 15 percent and the count starts over for TSA-F. Businesses in TSA-F that opened at 75 percent in October, but per GA-32 were supposed to reduce capacity to 50 percent when the area posted seven consecutive days over 15 percent on Jan. 2, will be allowed to reopen to 75 percent. Elective surgeries will be allowed to resume again too, if COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to make up less than 15 percent of the overall hospital capacity in TSA-F.
As COVID-19 hospitalizations have decreased, its freed up more hospital beds, ventilators and ICU beds in TSA F as well, according to the DSHS Feb. 2 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard and Combined Hospital Data over Time by Trauma Service Area (TSA) report.
Case Counts
January ended on a more hopeful note than it began –with fewer COVID-19 hospitalizations, six recoveries and only one new confirmed COVID-19 case reported on Sunday, February has started with a bang case-wise.
So far, 24 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 16 probable cases have been reported for Hopkins County during the first two days of February, which is 19 more new confirmed cases and five more probable cases than on Jan. 1-2 and a dozen more confirmed cases than Dec. 1-2. Since the pandemic began in March 2020, only October, a month with 323 confirmed COVID-19 cases, had more cases during the first two days of the month: 17 on the first and three on the second.
Cumulatively, 2,673 COVID-19 cases have been reported for Hopkins County since March 21, when the first novel coronavirus 2019 case was confirmed in Hopkins County. That includes 1,393 Hopkins County residents who have received positive molecular COVID-19 test results and 1,280 probable cases, determined by positive antigen tests or has a combination of symptoms and a known exposure to someone with COVID-19 without a more likely diagnosis
So far, there have been no recoveries in February. Cumulatively, however, 2,416 of the 2,6,73 Hopkins County residents who’ve had COVID-19 have recovered.
DSHS’ Feb. 2 COVID-19 dashboard showed 94 Hopkins County residents have been confirmed by cause on death certificate to have died from COVID-19. That means one additional Hopkins County resident was confirmed Tuesday to have died from COVID-19.
The latest COVID-19 death is reported to have occurred on Jan. 24, increasing the fatality count for January to 11: two each on Jan. 2 and Jan. 5; and one each on Jan. 3, Jan. 6, Jan. 8, Jan. 14, Jan. 16, Jan. 23 and Jan. 24., according to the DSHS Feb. 2 COVID-19 County Trends and Case Counts dashboards. That total could increase as the state receives official death certificates for Hopkins County residents who have passed away.
That leaves 163 active COVID-19 cases in Hopkins County on Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 2, 2021.
COVID-19 Testing
HC/SSEM officials in the Feb. 2 COVID-19 update reported a total of 9,077 molecular COVID-19 test have been performed at 128A Jefferson Street since the Red Cross building opened up as a free COVID-19 testing site in the fall. That includes the 95 tests conducted Monday at the free testing site.
The Feb. 2 COVID-19 Test and Hospital Data dashboard shows a total of 14,263 viral or molecular tests have been performed in Hopkins County. One additional antibody test and 11 additional antigen tests were conducted on Monday in Hopkins County, increasing the cumulative totals to 1,837 antigen tests and 1,775 antibody tests. Overall, more than 17,875 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Hopkins County since the pandemic began.
Free oral swab COVID-19 testing has been extended through the month of February in Sulphur Springs. Testing is typically offered from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays inside the Red Cross (old Fidelity Express Building) in Sulphur Springs.
Free testing is open to anyone regardless of age or address. However, registration is required online at www.GoGetTested.com in order to be tested at 128-A Jefferson Street in Sulphur Springs.
COVID-19 Vaccine Data
Twenty-one additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered to people in Hopkins County on Monday, increasing the overall total to 2,129. Thirteen additional people in Hopkins County received the first dose of the vaccine while eight more received the second dose of the shot Monday. That makes 1,797 who’ve gotten the first dose of the vaccine, and 332 who’ve been fully vaccinated with both doses of the two-shot vaccine, according to the Feb. 2 COVID-19 Vaccine Data dashboard.
The number of people fully vaccinated is expected to continue to grow this week, as 400 additional doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine have been allocated to Hopkins County to finish vaccinating those who received their shots about 4 weeks ago. Hopkins County has been allocated a total of 2,800 doses of vaccine so far, including 800 second-doses over the 8-weeks of distribution. No additional doses had been allocated on Tuesday to offer those still waiting the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
People can find more information about the COVID-19 vaccine at dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine.aspx.
Click here a full list of vaccine allocations for the week of Feb. 1.
A list of vaccination hub providers and their contact information is also available on the DSHS website.
Click this link to see the DSHS/Texas Department of Emergency Management map of vaccine providers.
