On Sept. 1, the Hays County Local Health Department reported a new fatality related to COVID-19—increasing the county's total to 48—and 14 lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus, raising the countywide case total to 5,410.

Some 2,224 of those cases were active, and 3,138 residents had recovered from the virus. Thirteen county residents remain hospitalized, and the county reported that 146 residents have been admitted to hospitals due to the virus to date.

The rolling seven-day positivity rate for coronavirus testing in Hays County was 13.11% on Sept. 1, with 102 cases and 778 tests reported since Aug. 25. The overall testing rate since the pandemic began was 18.16% with 5,410 cases and 29,788 test results reported.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported eight additional county resident deaths—a total of 56—as of Sept. 1.

How the coronavirus spread during August


Hays County reported 1,081 new lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus during August, a 25.05% increase in cases since the end of July when there were 4,315 cases.

Despite reporting 1,081 new cases since the beginning of August, active cases were down 637, or 22.26%, from 2,861 on July 31.

The total number of hospitalizations reported Aug. 31 was 146, up 33 from 113 on July 31—a 29.2% increase. Active hospitalizations decreased from 25 to 15 in the same time period, a 40% drop.

Hays County reported 19 new deaths in August, a 67.9% increase in deaths.


The overall testing positivity rate decreased from 20% at the end of July to 18.3% on Aug. 31, with 3,728 new tests reported.

During a Sept. 1 meeting, Chase Stapp, San Marcos director of public safety, told City Council that roughly 900 people were tested for the virus between Aug. 24 and Aug. 29 in Kyle and San Marcos through free testing offered by Hays County and other government authorities.