Harris County coronavirus count: ICU hospitalizations hit lowest point since before Thanksgiving

The number of patients with COVID-19 in Harris County hospitals fell to 1,062 on March 24, including 789 patients in general wards and 273 patients in intensive care units, according to data from the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council. Those totals are down from one week ago on March 17, when 868 patients had COVID-19 in general wards and 310 patients had the disease in ICUs.

The ICU total—which fell as low as 268 on March 19 before rising slightly—is at its lowest point since before Thanksgiving Day. The number of ICU patients with COVID-19 on Nov. 23 was recorded at 259. From there, it would rise steadily before topping 590 in January.

Fewer than one-fifth of ICU patients in the Texas Medical Center now have COVID-19, according to TMC data from March 23. Base ICU capacity is still fully occupied in TMC hospitals, but surge capacity has fallen to the point where only 52 of 877 surge capacity beds are occupied.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Harris County increased by 339 on March 24, according to the Harris County Public Health Department. Active cases are down by 1,497 from last week, while recovered cases have increased by 4,800. Coronavirus-related deaths have increased by 65 and now stand at 3,571.

The seven-day average for daily new cases fell to 569 on March 24 after seven straight days of the case count increasing by fewer than 800 cases per day.

Meanwhile, the 14-day average for testing positivity has continued to decline. The average fell to 9.1% as of the most recent data from March 17, down from a recent high of 13.1% on Feb. 24.

The total case count in the county now stands at 371,397, with 12,364 active cases, 355,443 recovered cases and 3,571 deaths.

Roughly 1.4 million vaccine doses have been administered in Harris County, according to state estimates, and 471,874 people have been fully inoculated.