For the first time since July 2, Texas saw a decrease in the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
While Kerr County was still suffering through record hospitalizations, the number of people hospitalized statewide had slowed. On Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 13,789 people hospitalized — a decline of about 200 patients.
The only downside was the number of available intensive care unit beds fell to 303. In the DSHS San Antonio region, including Kerr County, the number of hospitalized also fell.
The situation in the schools was vague. Kerrville Independent School District did not update its Friday numbers, didn't self-report to the Texas Education Agency and seemed to walk back numbers of positive cases on Thursday. The district said it had 123 active cases of staff and students. Parent groups, who tracked the cases, said there were more than 142.
Ingram ISD said it had eight cases in its first week, while Center Point had two cases. Harper ISD did not report, while Fredericksburg ISD reported 20 cases in its first week of instruction.
KISD officials did not return requests for comment. Peterson Health has also not returned calls or emailed questions about the severity of the situation at the Kerrville hospital, which had a record 39 patients on Friday.
Across the state, more than 17,000 Texans were positive or probable for the virus. Texas reached a peak positivity rate of 18.6% on Aug. 9, and on Friday, it was 16.4%. However, far more people are requesting testing over the last week than in the first days of August.
