AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer being updated. Click here for Thursday's blog.
KVUE is keeping you updated with the latest coronavirus and COVID-19 news in the Austin area.
Scroll down for the top headlines and latest updates in KVUE's Sept. 15 live blog.
COVID-19 numbers:
- Texas: More than 3.2 million cases have been reported in the state, and more than 59,190 people in Texas have died, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
- Central Texas counties:
- Austin-Travis County: The seven-day moving average for new hospital admissions is 47, and an average of 522 people are hospitalized. The seven-day moving average for new cases is 495. Since the beginning of the pandemic, over 111,361 cases have been reported and at least 1,038 people have died.
- Hays County: There are currently 1,828 active cases, and 56 people are currently hospitalized (53 unvaccinated, 3 vaccinated). Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 27,365 confirmed cases have been reported and at least 345 people have died. At least 25,192 people have recovered from the virus.
- Williamson County: There are 551 new cases of coronavirus in Williamson County. Thirteen percent of hospital beds are available, and 1% of ICU beds are available. Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 58,542 cases have been reported and at least 591 people have died.
- Central Texas school districts:
- Austin ISD: As of Sept. 15, there are a total of 72 new COVID-19 cases (60 students, 11 employees, 1 other) and a total of 351 new exposures (345 students, 6 employees, 0 others). Since Aug. 16, there have been 776 cumulative positive cases (618 students, 150 employees, 8 other) and 4,570 cumulative exposures (4,491 students, 69 employees, 10 other).
- Round Rock ISD: As of Sept. 15, there are 47 new positive cases (40 students, 7 employees) and 315 new "close contacts" (301 students, 14 employees). There have been 1,126 total cumulative positive cases (985 students, 141 employees) and 10,698 total cumulative "close contacts" (9,815 students, 883 employees).
- Leander ISD: For the week of Sept. 11-17 there have been 101 total positive cases. There have been 1,204 total cumulative positive cases.
- Pflugerville ISD: For the week of Sept. 11-17, there have been 70 total positive cases. There have been 729 total cumulative positive cases.
- Hays CISD: As of Sept. 15, there are 231 active student cases and 32 active staff cases. There have been a total of 560 cumulative student cases and 107 cumulative staff cases.
- Texas Public Schools (2021-22 school year; updated on Fridays with data from the previous Monday-Sunday)
- Cumulative positive student cases: 73,749, up from 60,527 on Aug. 29
- Cumulative positive staff cases: 16,213, up from 14,377 on Aug. 29
For a look at COVID-19 data across all of the state's counties, click here. KVUE is tracking COVID-19 data from five school districts in Central Texas. Many school districts have their own COVID-19 dashboard.
GRAPHS: Coronavirus data Sept. 15, 2021
Updates:
4 p.m. – Here is the latest COVID-19 data from the Texas Department of State Health Services:
TEXAS
- Cases average back down to 14,707 per day over the past week
- Up 13% from a week ago
- Up 25% from a month ago
- 411 additional deaths added today
- 59,608 total to date
- 298 per day over the past week
- 12,817 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals
- Down 5% from a week ago
- Up 9% from a month ago
- 8,906 regular adults
- 3,634 ICU adults
- 277 kids
- Texas surpassed 40 million cumulative COVID-19 cases. COVID-19 reporting goes back 512 days, so the cumulative average is 78,239 per day. Over the past week, the average is 160,553 per day.
LOCAL
- 1,062 cases per day over the past week (four most populous counties: Bastrop, Hays, Travis, Williamson counties)
- Up 7% from a week ago
- Up 20% from a month ago
- 643 COVID-19 patients in Austin area (TSA O) hospitals
- 381 regular adults
- 248 ICU adults
- 14 kids
- Six adult, four pediatric ICU beds available = 2% availability
- 2,815 deaths in the KVUE's 12-county viewing area since the beginning of the pandemic
9 a.m. – Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is receiving up to $5 million in federal funding as part of a program to help serve Texans in rural hospitals throughout the state.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) selected HHSC as one of four recipients for the program designed to address health disparities, improve health outcomes and meet the needs of Texans living in rural areas through telemedicine.
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