The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Denton County has risen by nearly 50% in the past two weeks, reaching nearly double the levels of the county’s previous peak in the summer.
Denton County hospitals were treating 202 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Dec. 27, according to the county’s coronavirus dashboard—up 66 from the 136 hospitalizations recorded Dec. 12.
Patients confirmed to have the virus filled more than 22% of North Texas hospital beds as of Dec. 27, a number that puts the region well above the threshold designated by Gov. Greg Abbott that mandates tighter restrictions on business activity.
The hospitalizations coincide with rising case counts that, despite irregular testing around the holidays, show that there are more known active cases throughout the county than have been seen at any other point of the pandemic.
