This week's update notes 357 new COVID-19 cases, 2 new deaths

From Staff Reports
·4 min read
1

The Amarillo Department of Public Health's weekly COVID-19 report card notes 645 in total hospital occupancy, 357 new COVID-19 cases and two new deaths.

"As the sixth leading cause of death in the United States in January 2023, Covid remains a critical public health issue," the Amarillo Department of Public Health says in a news release. "Covid has impacted all aspects of daily life and contributed to a decline in life expectancy. Many people remain at higher risk for severe illness, hospitalization and death due to Covid, which is why staying up-to-date on Covid vaccinations and boosters is of utmost importance."

COVID update

According to the Amarillo Department of Public Health's new COVID-19 report card issued for the week of Feb. 23 to March 1, there were 357 new cases, with the overall total rising to 90,331 COVID-19 cases, 1,327 total active cases, a seven-day positivity rate of 7% and 1,327 deaths.

The weekly COVID-19 report card, issued Thursday by the Amarillo Department of Public Health.
The weekly COVID-19 report card, issued Thursday by the Amarillo Department of Public Health.

The weekly report is available at www.AmarilloAlerts.com/reportcard. The report also notes the status of local hospital capacity, based on data from BSA Health System, Northwest Texas Healthcare System, and Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center. According to the report, 645 total hospital beds are currently occupied, with 114 total beds occupied in the ICU and 23 ventilators in use. These numbers include patients with and without COVID-19.

According to the health department's website, there have been a total of 688,612 tests administered locally since the beginning of the pandemic. Potter County's total cases since the start of the pandemic rose to 43,248, with 785 deaths related to the virus. Randall County's total COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic rose to 46,929, with 547 deaths related to the virus, according to the site Friday.

The website also noted 18 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, with 14 in the ICU and none on ventilators. In Amarillo school numbers, a total of 43 cases were reported over the past 14 days, according to the site.

Flu update

The health department's weekly flu report is created by all the local providers who voluntarily report influenza to APHD in Potter and Randall Counties. Previous weekly flu reports can be found on the health department's website.

The weekly flu report, issued by the Amarillo Department of Public Health.
The weekly flu report, issued by the Amarillo Department of Public Health.

"This report is created by all the local providers who voluntarily report influenza to Amarillo Public Health Department (APHD) in Potter and Randall Counties," the flu update notes. This week's numbers were not available. "Flu continues to decrease in numbers. We did have slightly higher report for Flu B positives this week, than the previous week. We are happy to report that we have no positive RSV cases, and no deaths related to flu this week."

The department urges Amarilloans to do to the following help protect themselves:

  • be up to date on your Flu Vaccine – recommended yearly for everyone 6 months and older

  • Stay home if sick

  • Wash your hands often

  • Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces

  • Don't touch your face with unwashed hands

Vaccinations and more

The Amarillo Public Health Department is encouraging residents to take advantage of the opportunity to receive free vaccines and boosters before the national emergency and public health declarations are lifted in May.

Amarillo Public Health strongly encourages residents to stay up-to-date on vaccinations and boosters. Free vaccines and boosters are available Monday through Thursday with no appointment required at the Amarillo Public Health Department, 850 Martin Road, and Amarillo Public Health mobile clinics. Learn more at www.AmarilloAlerts.com/findavaccine.

Upcoming mobile vaccine clinics are 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on March 8 at the East Amarillo Public Library, 2232 SE 27th Ave.; 6 to 7:30 p.m. on March 9 at the Salvation Army, 400 S. Harrison St.; 2 to 5 p.m. on March 13 at the Northwest Amarillo Public Library, 6100 SW 9th Ave.; 10 a.m. to noon on March 17 at the Guyon Saunders Resource Center, 200 S. Tyler St.; 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on March 21 at the North Amarillo Public Library, 1500 NE 24th Ave.; and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on March 23 at the Southwest Amarillo Public Library, 6801 SW 45th Ave.\

Nurses will be available at the mobile clinics to answer health-related questions. Learn more, including how to schedule a free ride to the Amarillo Public Health Department, at www.AmarilloAlerts.com/findavaccine. For the latest Covid information or to find vaccine locations, visit www.AmarilloAlerts.com.

In addition, the city of Amarillo has partnered with WasewaterSCAN to provide wastewater surveillance in the City of Amarillo. The wastewater surveillance program will monitor for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), mpox (previously known as monkeypox) and norovirus. To access the data of local water surveillance, go to WastewaterSCAN at: https://data.wastewaterscan.org/tracker/…

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo COVID-19 weekly update notes 357 new cases, 2 new deaths