COVID-19 at all-time high in county following holidays

As the COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna became available in Gonzales County, reported cases of the virus increased dramatically.

Over the last week, from Wednesday, Jan. 6 to Tuesday, Jan. 12, 135 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the county, with 57 being reported on Thursday, Jan. 7 according to daily reports from County Judge Patrick C. Davis. This is in line with warnings of COVID-19 case spikes following holiday gatherings which came from Director of National Institute of Allergy and Disease Dr. Anthony Fauci and the CDC in December.

There are 126 active cases of COVID-19 in Gonzales County as of Tuesday, Jan. 12, and 1,700 cases are determined to have recovered. This brings the total of reported cases to 1,836, with 10 reported deaths according to reports from the Judge’s Office, and 26 according to Department of State Health Services data.

This data also shows that hospitalizations of lab-confirmed COVID-19 in Trauma Service Area P in proportion to the total hospital capacity is 22.89% as of Monday, Jan. 11. A week before, Monday, Jan. 4, it was 20.84%. This is the TSA’s twenty-third day of high hospitalizations, which began Dec. 20. As previously reported by the Inquirer, this changes the county’s eligibility to operate bars at 50% and other businesses at 75% under GA-32. Exempt from this order are gatherings such as religious services and schools.

In Gonzales Independent School district, there are 17 total active cases among staff and students, Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District is reporting two, and Waelder Independent School District is reporting three active cases as of Wednesday, Jan. 13.