Current Ellis County COVID-19 numbers show mixed message.
COVID-19 statistics as of December 29, 2020 show that active cases are down in Waxahachie and Ellis County, but ICU numbers are up compared to about two weeks ago.
Of the 402 active cases countywide reported on the Ellis County COVID-19 Dashboard, Waxahachie accounts for 156 (a 27% drop from 12 days ago), followed by Midlothian at 81 and Ennis at 61.
Only one COVID-19-related death has been recorded in Waxahachie since December 17, bringing the total for the city up to 62. Countywide the death toll is 158, a 14% increase in the last 12 days.
Eleven beds have been added to the local hospital network’s ICU bed capacity, bringing the total bed availability up to 29.
Despite lower numbers of reported active cases of the virus among the population, the occupancy of the ICU beds now stands at 27 of 29 beds available, with 89% of ICU patients suffering from COVID-19.
Of 235 local non-ICU hospital beds available, 209 are occupied, leaving only 26 open for new patients.
To date, approximately 12% of Waxahachie’s population has been infected by the novel coronavirus: 3,567 people out of a population of almost 37,000. The CDC predicts that at least 70% of the population must be immune to the virus that causes COVID-19 before the chain of transmission will be broken.
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