THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.
In one swoop, Peterson Health on Friday showed that we are nowhere close to being done with COVID-19 after reporting another 218 cases — 435 in four days. More troubling, Peterson Regional Medical Center said 32 patients are hospitalized, including six in intensive care.
The more than 30 hospitalizations have been the most since Sept. 17. Peterson's highest admission day was about 46 in early September.
As of Friday, more than 500 Kerr County residents are sick with COVID-19. By averaging more than 80 cases per day, Kerr County has blown past several models and warnings from medical institutions about positivity rates. Right now, Kerr County's seven-day average is 82 people testing positive.
A forecasting model from the Mayo Clinic estimated the worst of the virus would be Sunday — with 100 cases or more. That was a worst-case scenario. The Mayo Clinic's model suggested that the county wouldn't hit 100 cases until Jan. 22.
Another forecasting tool, developed by an emergency room physician at Harvard, suggested mitigation efforts should occur at 60 cases per day.