This number is up from the 250 cases reported the week prior.
The graph below shows the daily breakdown of new cases last week, which ranged from 21 on Sept. 11 to 126 on Sept. 16. Since the first known coronavirus case in Fort Bend County was confirmed in early March, 15,678 residents have tested positive for COVID-19. Of these cases, the county suspects most people—14,509—have recovered from the virus.
Furthermore, the deaths of nine additional Fort Bend County residents were confirmed Sept. 11-17. This brings the county's COVID-19 death toll to 180.
The following graph shows the history of coronavirus cases in Fort Bend County as well as the seven-day new-case average, which accounts for irregularities in data, such as no new cases being reported on Sundays.
As of Sept. 17, an average of 49.57 coronavirus cases were reported each of the past seven days. The county experienced a surge in reported cases from late June through August. The current seven-day average has returned to levels seen in mid-June. The number of people being treated for confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases at Fort Bend County hospitals reached 33 on Sept. 17. This is the lowest recorded COVID-19 hospitalization number in the county since May 25.
Of the 33 people hospitalized with the coronavirus Sept. 17, six of them were in an intensive care unit bed. The number of COVID-19 ICU patients ranged from six to 11 on Sept. 11-17. On Sept. 17, Gov. Greg Abbott announced retail stores, restaurants, office buildings and gyms can reopen at 75% capacity as early as Sept. 21 if COVID-19 hospitalizations in a region are less than 15% of the region's overall hospitalizations.
While the state's 22 hospitalization regions—not the individual counties—dictate if businesses are allowed to expand reopening efforts, in Fort Bend County 4.4% of total hospitalizations are from the coronavirus.
Coronavirus in Sugar Land and Missouri City
The cities of Sugar Land and Missouri City saw 52 and 34 new cases, respectively, from Sept. 11-17.
During the same time period, the five-county region—which makes up much of the Sugar Land and Missouri City communities—had an increase of 149 cases. Sugar Land ZIP code 77479 had the most new cases with 46.
The chart below breaks down the total number of cases and the increase in cases since Sept. 10 for local jurisdictions and ZIP codes. Note that city limits and ZIP code boundaries do not overlap. The data in this story reflects what sources are reporting as of 4:30 p.m. Sept. 18. Fort Bend County updates its coronavirus dashboard Monday-Saturday at 4 p.m. Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council hospitalization data can be found here.
