Since March 2020, a total of 220 county residents have died from COVID-19, which means that more than 15% of the total deaths have been reported since Jan. 6. The residents’ actual dates of death range from Dec. 1 to Jan. 12.
Of the total, 11 deaths were reported Jan. 7, four deaths Jan. 8, five deaths Jan. 13, seven deaths Jan. 14, four deaths Jan. 15 and seven deaths Jan. 20. Each resident who died during this time period, ranging in age from 31-40 to 91 and older, had preexisting medical conditions, per GCHD.
The case fatality rate remains at 0.9%, and 17,212 of the 24,581 total county coronavirus cases are listed as recoveries. The number of active cases is up to 7,149, nearly 30% of the total. More than 3,200 new cases have been reported since Jan. 6.
The health district notes on its website that due to the current surge in positive cases in Galveston County and the rollout of vaccines by GCHD, active cases are presumed to be recoveries after 28 days have passed since the first positive test or after a resident is released from the hospital and not deceased or in a nursing home. This definition could lead to an increase in reported active cases.
Galveston and Texas City have seen 3,957 and 3,944 total cases, respectively, and Friendswood has seen a total of 1,806 cases, according to GCHD data. More than a quarter of the total cases—7,478, or 30%—have been in League City, and about a third of the currently active cases are in League City.
Nearly 4,450 total cases have been reported among residents ages 21-30, the most of any age group. More than 1,170 of those cases are considered active as of Jan. 20, also the highest such total for any age group.
No county residents under age 31 have died from COVID-19. More than 6,500 residents age 30 and under have recovered from the coronavirus since March 2020, per GCHD data.
There are 119 county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Jan. 20, up from 88 as of Jan. 6. The hospitalizations are mainly concentrated in Texas City and League City. While eight of those are residents age 30 and under as of Jan. 20, residents age 61 and older make up 55% of current hospitalizations. A total of 464 county residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 since March 2020.
Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows that as of Jan. 10, Galveston, Harris and Brazoria counties are part of Trauma Service Areas where the number of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 has exceeded 15% of all hospital capacity for seven consecutive days.
In accordance with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order GA-32, these counties are required to keep bars closed, keep restaurants reduced to 50% capacity and cancel all elective surgeries until there have been seven consecutive days below the state’s 15% threshold. The restrictions were first enacted in Galveston County just before Christmas.
