Montgomery County's active COVID-19 case count remains above 2,000 at end of March

Montgomery County's active COVID-19 case count was just above 2,000 as of the end of March, and six new deaths from the disease had been reported since March 19, according to the Montgomery County Public Health District.

The number of active cases countywide was 2,040 as of March 31, increasing back above the 2,000 mark since the four-month low of 1,981 on March 17. The highest daily active case count since March 17 was March 25, when 2,273 active cases were reported, of which 79 were hospitalized.

As of the end of March, 49,477 COVID-19 cases had been reported in Montgomery County in the over a year since the first case was identified, of which 25,787—52.12%—have clinically recovered. More than 21,000 cases remain in an unconfirmed status as of March 31, meaning the public health district was unable to contact them within 30 days of initial reporting.

Eight new deaths related to the disease were also reported March 19-31 in the county, including men and women from Cleveland, Magnolia, New Caney, The Woodlands and Porter in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. A total of 268 resident COVID-19 deaths have now been recorded.

Hospitalizations throughout county facilities were up from mid-March with general bed usage ranging from 776-1,066 between March 20-31, according to information from the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council. The number of confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients in those beds—regardless of their county of residence—peaked for the second half of the month March 23 with 103 COVID-19 patients in general beds, and it was at its lowest level March 26 with 68 patients.

The total number of intensive care unit beds in use countywide rose to 171 on March 27, just below the county's operational capacity limit of 174, and it was at 168 on March 31. It was at its lowest point in the last 11 days of the month March 20 with 136 beds in use. The number of COVID-19 patients in county ICU beds was at its lowest in the last 11 days of the month March 26 with 19 patients, and it was at its highest for the time period March 30 with 35 patients. On March 31, 32 COVID-19 patients were in ICU beds in the county.