Total weekly positive case counts, which were near 200 the week of Nov. 14, are under 100 so far the week of Nov. 28, according to public health data reported by the Galveston County Health District. Of the reported tests, 8% have been positive so far the week of Nov. 28; the week prior saw a 5% case positivity rate among reported tests, one of the lowest since June.
There are 16 county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Dec. 1, down from 22 in mid-November. A quarter of those residents are under age 51, per the GCHD.
Case fatality remains at 1%, and 1,063 cases are active, down slightly from the 1,082 active as of Nov. 17. A total of four more coronavirus deaths have been reported by the GCHD since Nov. 3, down from the seven reported Nov. 3-Nov. 17. Of those deaths, two people were fully vaccinated and one person was partially vaccinated, per the GCHD.
As of Nov. 19, there had been 2,198 breakthrough cases in Galveston County, per the GCHD’s Dec. 1 update. This is an additional 57 new breakthrough cases from those reported as of Nov. 12. COVID-19 cases occurring in people who are fully vaccinated are considered breakthrough cases, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The number of breakthrough cases equates to an approximate 1% breakthrough rate; more than 189,100 county residents are fully vaccinated, per the GCHD, compared to about 188,000 vaccinated as of Nov. 17.
The county is offering vaccines at indoor and drive-thru clinics as well as booster shots. The GCHD began offering COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5-11 in early November.
Click here to view the coronavirus dashboard on the health district’s website.
Greater Houston-area COVID-19 updates
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With the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children under ages 5-11 on Oct. 29, hospitals had to adapt for the youngest demographic eligible for doses. Click here to read about how Houston Methodist campuses adapted to the change in public health guidelines.
On Nov. 19, the FDA voted to expand the existing authorizations for Moderna and Pfizer's vaccine boosters to include all adults over the age of 18. Click here to read more about the expansion.
Just before Thanksgiving, the average number of new coronavirus patients per day had plateaued at Texas Medical Center institutions, though numbers remained at some of their lowest levels since the pandemic began. Click here to read more data breakdowns from Nov. 23.
As the holiday season continues, a health expert with Baylor College of Medicine provided advice to Community Impact Newspaper about how to stay safe and healthy while celebrating with family. Click here to read tips around travel and serving food.
Jishnu Nair, Olivia Aldridge and Hunter Marrow contributed to this report.
