by AP News.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — State health officials reported above-average new COVID-19 cases and death totals Wednesday.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 4,098 new cases, which was well above the state’s seven-day rolling average of 3,120 as computed by Johns Hopkins University researchers. Johns Hopkins data show the new cases, along with 446 previously unreported cases added Wednesday, push the pandemic total to 3,018,501. The state estimated 68,974 were active.
Researchers said the rolling average of daily new cases over the past two weeks has decreased by 380.7, a decrease of 10.9%. Also, the 170.7 new Texas cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks ranked 37th in the nation for new cases per capita.
The 99 deaths topped the Johns Hopkins average for Texas of 82. The state’s pandemic death toll rose to 48,833.
More than 8.5 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 29% of the population, and more than 4.9 million people have been fully vaccinated, almost 17% of the population.
Tarrant County Public Health (TCPH) on Wednesday reports nine COVID-19 deaths. The deceased include a woman from Benbrook in her 70s, two men and two women from Fort Worth in their 70s, a woman from Fort Worth in her 60s, two women from Arlington in their 50s, and a woman from Fort Worth in her 50s. All had underlying health conditions.
Tarrant County now has 3,333 confirmed deaths from the COVID-19 virus and 244,434 people have recovered.
FWBP Staff contributed to this report.