(KWTX) – The state reported 3,129 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday while the count in Central Texas increased by almost 70 including a record 26 new cases in McLennan County and 39 in Bell County, where two more people have died of the virus.
Statewide Wednesday 96,335 cases of the virus have been confirmed and 2,062 people have died.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 31,905 active cases Wednesday, 62, 368 recoveries and said 1.56 million tests have been administered
The virus is active in 237 of the state’s 254 counties.
More than 1,540 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Central Texas and the virus has claimed a total of 23 lives including nine in Bell County, two in Coryell County, one in Hamilton County, one in Hill County, one in Limestone County, four in McLennan County, one in Milam County, and four in Navarro County.
McLennan County reported a record daily increase in the number of confirmed cases for a third straight day on Wednesday as the count rose by 26 to 222.
The county reported 15 new cases on Monday and 18 on Tuesday.
“Our curve has been flat up until now,” Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver said.
“Data shows we are losing our advantage.”
The latest cases involve two residents 19 or younger, six in their 20s, six in their 30s, four in their 40s, six in their 50s and two who are 60 or older.
Nine patients were hospitalized Wednesday, four of them in critical condition, and health officials were monitoring 335 residents, up from 272 on Tuesday.
“Our hospitals have been able to create more hospital beds so that is not as big of a concern now,” Deaver said.
Eighty six cases were active Wednesday and 132 patients have recovered.
“Should I be concerned about this? Yes you should be concerned about this. But you should not panic,” said Dr. Mike Hardin with the Waco Family Health Center.
“The most important thing to say is these last three months have been a practice run. We really need to increase social distancing, wash hands, and you must wear a mask while you are in public. The mask protects others not you.”
“The only way to stay healthy is to remain physically distant,” Hardin said.
Four McLennan County residents have died including a 66-year-old resident whose death was announced on April 22 and a 61-year old McLennan County man whom a neighbor found dead on April 8.
G.W. Carver Middle School Principal Phillip Perry, died of complications from the virus on March 31 and a 69-year-old man died on April 9 at a local hospital.
Bell County, meanwhile, reported 39 new confirmed cases Wednesday and two additional deaths from the virus, raising the death toll in the county to nine.
The two men who died were both in their 80s and were both residents of Weston Inn Nursing & Rehabilitation in Temple, where nearly 50 residents and employees have tested positive for the virus.
The county had a total of 658 cases Wednesday, according to Bell County Health District figures, up from the 619 cases reported on Tuesday.
The figures show 292 patients have recovered.
Nine of the cases reported Wednesday were actually confirmed Tuesday, but not before the data were posted at 2 p.m. Tuesday on the county’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Beginning Thursday, daily updates will be posted at 4 p.m.
The county’s local report does not include Fort Hood personnel, but the state report, which does, showed a total of 672 cases.
Seven other people diagnosed with the virus in Bell County have died including a Killeen man in his 50s in ICU died who died on April 8, a Temple man in his 60s in intensive care who died on April 6 who died on April 6, a Temple woman in her 80s who had been diagnosed with the virus died on March 26; woman in her 90s who was a resident of West Inn Nursing and Rehabilitation whose death was announced on May 30; a resident of Weston Inn Nursing and Rehabilitation whose death was announced on June 3; a woman in her 60s who was a resident of Weston Inn whose death was reported on June 9, and a woman in her 70s who was transferred on June 1 from Weston Inn Nursing and Rehabilitation to Scott & White Medical Center died on June 14.
Follow-up testing at the Weston Inn showed 26 residents and 23 employees have the virus.
The employees are self-isolating at home.
Killeen will host mobile testing sites from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the Jackson Professional Learning Center at 902 Rev. RA Abercrombie Dr., and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the First Church of God in Christ at 5201 Westcliff Rd.
Tests are free, but limited.
The state reported 303 cases Wednesday in Coryell County, but the county’s latest update, which does not include Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmates or employees, showed 92 cases with 52 recoveries and two deaths.
The latest cases in the county include one involving a girl younger than 10 and a man in his 20s, both of whom live in Copperas Cove, which was reporting a total of 48 cases Wednesday, 27 of which were active.
Both residents were self-isolating Wednesday.
Several prison units in Gatesville remain locked down because of the virus, which has claimed the lives of a Copperas Cove man in his 70s who died on April 9 at Advent Hospital in Killeen, to which he was admitted on April 2 and a Copperas Cove man in his 60s who was diagnosed with the virus on April 5.
Forty one cases have been confirmed in Limestone County, which has recorded one death.
A Mexia woman in her late 50s to early 60s with underlying health conditions died on March 31 at Parkview Regional Hospital in Mexia after she was diagnosed with COVID-19.
Seventeen patients in Limestone County have recovered.
According to the latest figures Wednesday, Bosque County was reporting seven cases including four who have recovered; Falls County had 19 cases with five recoveries; Freestone County reported 17 cases with nine recoveries; Hamilton County reported 18 with one death and six recoveries; Hill County reported 41, with one death and 15 recoveries; Lampasas County had 13 cases with seven recoveries; Leon County reported 13 cases with four recoveries; Milam County reported 51 with one death and 37 recoveries; Mills County had one case and the patient has recovered; Navarro County reported 101 cases with four deaths and 63 recoveries; Robertson County had 20 cases with nine recoveries; and San Saba County had two cases with one recovery.
Three cases have been confirmed in the City of Teague in Freestone County involving a man in his 30s, a man in his 20s and a female whose age ranges from 10 to 19.
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