Wichita County's COVID cases fall 45%; Texas cases plummet 12.3%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read
Nurses Debbie Black and Rachel Lee double check a COVID-19 vaccine dose for a child during a vaccine clinic in Hamilton, Massachusetts, on Sept. 9.
Nurses Debbie Black and Rachel Lee double check a COVID-19 vaccine dose for a child during a vaccine clinic in Hamilton, Massachusetts, on Sept. 9.

Texas reported far fewer coronavirus cases in the week ending Sunday, adding 22,006 new cases. That's down 12.3% from the previous week's tally of 25,081 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Texas ranked 36th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 19.4% from the week before, with 323,859 cases reported. With 8.71% of the country's population, Texas had 6.79% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 10 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Wichita County reported 176 cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 320 cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 37,592 cases and 699 deaths.

Young County reported one case and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported one case and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 4,306 cases and 95 deaths.

Montague County reported four cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 21 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 5,096 cases and 131 deaths.

Clay County reported five cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported six cases and one death. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 2,368 cases and 40 deaths.

Archer County reported four cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported eight cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 2,506 cases and 29 deaths.

Wilbarger County reported five cases and no deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 10 cases and no deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 3,950 cases and 89 deaths.

Across Texas, cases fell in 149 counties, with the best declines in Harris County, with 2,124 cases from 3,139 a week earlier; in Hidalgo County, with 1,082 cases from 1,782; and in Bexar County, with 1,705 cases from 2,353.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Within Texas, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Loving County with 1,183 cases per 100,000 per week; Jim Hogg County with 404; and Hays County with 355. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Harris County, with 2,124 cases; Bexar County, with 1,705 cases; and Tarrant County, with 1,541. Weekly case counts rose in 75 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Hays, Cameron and Coryell counties.

In Texas, 123 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 151 people were reported dead.

A total of 7,996,241 people in Texas have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 90,913 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 96,397,885 people have tested positive and 1,059,605 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Texas's COVID-19 hospital admissions falling

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, Oct. 2. Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 3,991

  • The week before that: 4,270

  • Four weeks ago: 5,448

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 51,355

  • The week before that: 53,692

  • Four weeks ago: 61,434

Hospitals in 17 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 25 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 17 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County reported 176 additional COVID-19 cases this week