In comparison, there were 2,410 active cases July 23, according to the Denton County Public Health Department.
The health department also reported eight more people in Denton County have died due to COVID-19, with six of them occurring in the past several weeks.
“Those individuals were not fully vaccinated,” Dr. Matt Richardson, director of public health, said during his weekly update at the Denton County Commissioners Court on Aug. 24.
Data on confirmed COVID-19 deaths come from the state, which can cause a delay in reports, Richardson said.
As of Aug. 23 there were 180 people in Denton County hospitals being treated for COVID-19. This means 24.8% of the total inpatient beds in Denton County are being occupied by patients with COVID-19, Richardson said.
“Staffing shortages are so severe in Denton County hospitals and hospitals all across Texas and the nation,” Richardson said. “Those staffing shortages mean there are fewer beds available for us to occupy in an emergency.”
The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council reported Aug. 24 that 48.1% of adult ICU patients in the 19-county North Texas area known as Trauma Service Area E have COVID-19. In total, there were 3,272 COVID-19 patients in hospitals throughout the 19 counties, including Denton County.
"Our hospitalizations have increased significantly in the last 30 days," according to the council's daily report.
The delta variant of the coronavirus is beginning to eclipse all other variants and is proving to be more infectious than the COVID-19 virus, Richardson told county commissioners.
Denton County also reported giving 326 third doses of the coronavirus vaccine in the past seven days to those who are immunocompromised. Individuals who are not immunocompromised can start receiving their third vaccine booster as soon as Sept. 20, Richardson reported. They must wait at least eight months from their second dose to be able to receive the booster, Richardson said.
More information on where to receive a vaccine as well as eligibility can be found here.
