Galveston County works through backlog of lab results, reports 31 new deaths Sept. 8

Galveston County has reported an additional 292 coronavirus cases since Sept. 3, bringing the total case count to 11,007 on Sept. 8.

More than 2,500 of the cases—about 23%—are active, and 91 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, according to health department data. The coronavirus positivity rate from Aug. 30-Sept. 5 was 5%, up from 4% the week prior.

Roughly 80% of the new cases reported in the Sept. 8 update are due to a backlog in lab results being reported to the health district, according to a department Facebook post. Of the 31 deaths reported Sept. 8, only one took place within the last month; death dates range from mid-April to mid-August.

The county’s death total is now 165. One of the deaths reported Sept. 8 was the youngest in Galveston County to date: a resident in the 0-10 age range who had pre-existing medical conditions and a probable case of COVID-19 died July 11.

Galveston and League City have more than 2,100 total COVID-19 cases as of Sept. 8. The case count in Texas City is nearing 1,800, and Friendswood has a total of 665 confirmed cases.

The county also began displaying antibody test results on the database in mid-June. Nearly 4,500 people have received the testing thus far with all but 363 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; no new nursing home infections have been reported since Aug. 13. The outbreaks account for 6% of the cases or less in League City and Texas City and around 1.7% of the total cases in Friendswood.