Galveston County sees surge in COVID-19 cases

Galveston County reported a 469% increase in recorded COVID-19 cases between the weeks of Dec. 12 and Dec. 26, according to the Galveston County Health District dashboard.

The county reported 754 cases the week of Dec. 12 and reported 4,291 cases the week of Dec. 26. A year prior, the week of Dec. 27, there were 1,770 cases reported, according to GCHD data.

During the week of Dec. 26, 24% of tests taken were reported as positive.

The GCHD reported an additional 734 cases Jan. 4 in a news release. It also reported 59 recoveries. The county has estimated that over 196,000 residents have become fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The county also reported that as of Dec. 31 there have been 5,208 breakthrough cases in Galveston County, resulting in a 2.7% breakthrough. Breakthrough cases are defined as anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 after being fully vaccinated, according to the GCHD.

With the GCHD following regional trends in Galveston County, Harris County has also seen an uptick in cases. The Texas Medical Center reported an average of 5,645 new cases per day for the past week, as previously reported by Community Impact Newspaper. It is also reporting that its intensive care unit space is 90% full.