The number of new COVID-19 cases are increasing in McKinney.
Following the release of COVID-19 vaccines in December, the number of new cases daily had been trending downward. However, as the delta variant of the coronavirus emerged, cases have been increasing since late July, per data from the city of McKinney’s COVID-19 tracking dashboard.
From Aug. 18 through Aug. 25, the city reported 530 new cases of COVID-19. The week before that, the city reported 473 new cases.
McKinney is reporting 16,138 total cases of COVID-19, per data from Aug. 25. Of those, 692 are active, and 15,446 have recovered. As of Aug. 24, 20.6% of the hospital beds in Trauma Service Area E, which consists of 19 counties in North Texas, including Collin and Denton counties, were occupied by confirmed COVID-19 patients, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services dashboard. The Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council also reported 48.9% of adult ICU patients have COVID-19 as of Aug. 25. Of those, Collin County hospitals have 439 patients. Within the region, 61 ICU beds were available as of Aug. 25, with six in Collin County.
COVID-19 testing continues to be available throughout the city of McKinney. In McKinney alone, there are numerous test sites that offer both drive-thru and walk-in appointments through local pharmacies and clinics. This includes GoGetTested, which provides oral swabs or saliva tests. An interactive map of the available testing sites in McKinney and the surrounding area can be found at this link.
COVID-19 tests are available at no cost nationwide at health centers and select pharmacies, due to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, including those who do not have insurance.
Appointments are required for most COVID-19 testing sites, and information for scheduling an appointment is available on the interactive map.
Information about the COVID-19 vaccine and where to get vaccinated is available at www.vaccines.gov. Collin County Health Care Services announced July 27 the creation of mobile vaccination teams. Residents can request appointments for the free shots through the service.