WilCo Reports 47 New Coronavirus Cases, No New Deaths

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Williamson County health district officials reported 47 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, raising the cumulative total to 11,016. There were no new deaths, keeping the historical fatality count to 158.

The data are input into a statistical dashboard maintained by the Williamson County and Cities Health District. According to the dashboard, there have been 148,436 tests for the virus performed as of Monday, and the rolling seven-day average positivity rate stands at 4.69 percent — just shy of the 5 percent level yielding what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes as a "hotspot" for illness.

Last week, the county was put back into the orange alert phase indicating bolstered community spread of illness. The move came after county health officials retroactively added 1,400 confirmed and probable cases to the coronavirus count in Williamson County, explaining that a recent quality assurance check of data import systems yielded the previously unreported cases.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Williamson County ranks 18th in the top 20 counties with the highest number of cumulative coronavirus cases. The county also ranks 23rd in terms of the highest fatality rates from among the state's 254 counties.

Despite such statistics and heightened community spread, Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell last week said he would not issue a shelter-in-place order as an illness mitigation tactic.

Related stories:

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• WilCo Adds 1,400 Coronavirus Cases After Data Glitch Identified

"The Williamson County and Cities Health District makes recommendations based on the COVID-19 transmission rate to help residents understand the risks," Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said in a prepared statement last Thursday. "The guidelines are suggested for planning, but are not requirements. Local guidance may be superseded by an executive order from Gov. Abbott."

According to the dashboard, Round Rock is the city in Williamson County with the most confirmed cases of coronavirus to date. As of Monday, there have been 3,052 cases of the respiratory illness. Georgetown has the second-highest level at 1,860, as shown on the dashboard. Cedar Park has had 947 cases of the illness to date, the data show, while Hutto has had 679 and Leander 604.

There is a small sliver of Austin within the jurisdiction of Williamson County from which 675 cases have emerged, as shown on the dashboard. Also recorded are 1,318 cases in the "other" category which covers smaller communities in the county with populations of less than 20,000. Given the small populations, health district officials have previously explained they are not compelled to identify the affected communities.

Williamson County residents have various options for getting tested for free. For a list of locations, click on the Williamson County and Cities Health District website.