Galveston County COVID-19 positivity rate drops; 6 new deaths since Aug. 20

Galveston County has reported an additional 188 coronavirus cases since Aug. 20, bringing the total case count to 10,400 as of Aug. 24.

About 30% of the cases are active, and 89 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to health department data. Six new coronavirus-related deaths have been reported since Aug. 20: five were reported Aug. 21, and one was reported Aug. 24.

There were 8,825 total cases in the county at the start of August, marking an 18% increase over the course of the month. The average COVID-19 positivity rate in the county from Aug. 16-22 was 6%, dropping below 8% for the first time all month.

Galveston and League City have more than 2,000 confirmed cases as of Aug. 24. The case count in Texas City is nearing 1,700, and Friendswood has a total of 614 COVID-19 cases.

The county also began displaying antibody test results on the database in mid-June. More than 4,300 people have received the testing thus far, with all but 337 of those people testing negative.

Outbreaks at six nursing homes in Friendswood, League City and Texas City have infected a collective 257 people, per health department data. The nursing home outbreaks account for about 6% of the cases in both League City and Texas City and for less than 2% of the total cases in Friendswood.