3 additional Kerr County deaths reported from COVID-19

The Texas Department of State Health Services noted the deaths of three Kerr County residents from COVID-19 on Saturday. The state said people died on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

Kerr County’s COVID-19 death toll stands at 14 people in January. A previously reported death on Jan. 1 was changed to Dec. 31, 2021. However, the death toll could climb in the coming weeks because DSHS reporting is backlogged.

The three-county deaths were not at Peterson Regional Medical Center, which has not reported a COVID-19-related fatality since November. While DSHS says Kerr County death toll is 157, that number doesn’t count deaths at Peterson, nursing homes and other medical facilities. The true number is more than 200.

Across Texas on Saturday, more than 44,000 people tested positive for the virus and DSHS said they recorded 235 new deaths. Since Jan. 1, more than 1.5 million Texans have tested positive for the virus, with more than 2,400 deaths.

If there was shred, sliver or morsel of good news it was that hospitalizations fell below 13,000 for the first time since Jan. 18. On Friday, more than 12,600 people were hospitalized. The virus’ impact is still problematic for hospitals across the state, where intensive care unit beds remain sparse. In the San Antonio region, including Kerr County, there were 50 ICU beds left.

Peterson Regional Medical Center said it still has 41 people admitted with COVID-19 — as of Friday. The flat numbers are courtesy of the hospital’s website but demonstrate that Peterson remains heavily impacted by the omicron variant.

On Thursday, Peterson said 99 people tested positive for COVID-19, suggesting more than 200 people tested positive this week for the variant.

Kerr County Deaths

December 2021

• Dec. 31, 2021, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 26)

January 2022

• Jan. 3, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 6)
• Jan. 4, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services
• Jan. 7, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services
• Jan. 8-9, 2022, as reported at Alpine Terrace Nursing Home by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
• Jan. 14, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 22)
• Jan. 14, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 22)
• Jan. 15, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
• Jan. 15, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 26)
• Jan. 16, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 25).
• Jan. 18, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 22)
• Jan. 24, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services
• Jan. 25, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 29)
• Jan. 26, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 29)
• Jan. 27, 2022, as reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services (reported on Jan. 29)