COVID UPDATE: COVID cases still on the rise across Milam County
Milam County is still recording high numbers of confirmed COVID cases setting a record this past week.
“Our COVID numbers are at an all time high of 269 active confirmed cases in Milam County,” Milam County Judge Steve Young said Tuesday night. “This is a 55 percent increase over our first wave record high of 173 active cases. The bad new is that this number will simply continue to increase as it has since July 4, 2021. As you will remember, we had under 10 active cases at the beginning of July 2021. Now over 1 percent of our county-wide population is infected, along with 1 percent of our student population. So, please get vaccinated and encourage others as well.”
On Tuesday there were 71 new cases to report and 33 cases to discharge. Ten individuals were hospitalized raising the total to another all-time high of 24 and 12 of those are in serious condition and on ventilators. The county recorded three new fatalities from the virus over the last week.
The county has seen vaccines administered over the last week. The total vaccines administered were 34 including 18 students.
Young said 98 percent of all confirmed cases are being identified as the Delta variant.
Vaccine Clinics
The Milam County Health Department continues vaccination clinics throughout the county.
Thursday, Sept. 9, there will be a clinic in Rockdale at the old hospital, 1700 Brazos, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for ages 12 and up.
On Friday, Sept. 10, there will be a clinic at the Cameron VFW, 2010 Temple Highway, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with Prizer and Moderna vaccines for ages 12 and up.
Testing will resume on Sept. 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Cameron VFD, 105 N. Main St. in Cameron and Monday, Sept. 13, in Rockdale at the old hospital, 1700 Brazos.
Percentages going down
The percentage of hospital beds taken up by COVID-19 patients in the region dipped below 20 percent for the first time since Aug. 12 on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported on their dashboard that Trauma Service Area L — which includes Milam County — now had 19.21 percent hospitalization rate.
Scott & White Health in Temple has shared that 92 percent of its patients hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated, with another 92 of those in the intensive care unit also unvaccinated. The company also pointed out that 95 percent of its patients on ventilators was unvaccinated as well.