Harris County coronavirus count: 332 new cases confirmed June 8

Public health officials in Harris County confirmed 332 new cases of COVID-19 June 8 along with one death, a woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions.

Over the first eight days of June, Harris County has now confirmed more than 300 new cases in six of them, according to public health records.

A total of 182,892 tests had been conducted in Harris County as of June 3, the last time data was updated by the Texas Department of State Health Services. However, those test totals include both PCR swab tests, which determine active infections from the new coronavirus, and serology tests, which identify antibodies against the virus to determine past infection. Between May 28-June 3, the county averaged about 4,000 tests per day across both public and private labs.

A total of 712 suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases were in Harris County hospitals as of June 7, according to information being tracked by the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council. That number is up from 678 on June 6 and 501 on May 29.

The number of COVID-19 patients occupying intensive care unit beds oscillates from day to day, but has generally trended upward in Harris County over the past month, according to SETRAC. Of the roughly 1,630 operational ICU beds across Harris County hospitals, occupancy ranged from 1,434 to 1,503 over the past week, as compared to the low- to mid-1,300s in late April and early May. Another 300 ICU beds exist in surge capacity in Harris County.

The total case count in Harris County stood at 14,918 on June 8, with active cases estimated at 8,964 and confirmed recoveries at 5,692. A total of 262 people have died of COVID-19, putting the death rate of known cases at around 1.75%.