After resuming updates last week, the Bell County Health Districtâs COVID-19 dashboard now shows 18 new deaths locally.
The countyâs data now shows a total of 466 deaths in the county from the virus as of Friday â 18 more than the 448 shown by the state dashboard last week.
State data has fallen behind local reporting during the pandemic. The Texas Department of State Health Services updated their dashboard Sunday to show the county as having 450 deaths from the virus â still a 16-death difference compared to local reporting.
Nikki Morrow, interim director for the district, said that the deaths are not a part of a spike, but have been accumulating over time since May when the district stopped reporting numbers. She said the district saw 13 deaths between May 8 and 28, and eight in June.
Bell County officials seeing uptick in COVID-19 cases
Officials say a majority of the new cases are among people between the ages of 20 and 40. Author: Bary Roy Updated: 9:42 PM CDT July 7, 2021
BELL COUNTY, Texas Bell County healthcare leaders said that have noticed a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases as they continue to closely follow cases and hospitalizations in the county.
Over the past several weeks, the county’s incidence rate has hovered between 25 and 30 new cases per 100,000 population. However, last week’s total was 154 active cases.
“The increased volumes are more evidence that we are not out of COVID just yet,” Patrick Swindle, Chief Executive Officer of Seton Medical Center in Harker Heights, said. “Staying diligent with masking and appropriate hand-hygiene is still important. However, the most effective route is getting vaccinated. I urge the public to take the necessary steps to get vaccinated wherever offered.”
Bell County leaders closely monitoring uptick in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations kxxv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kxxv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
BELTON â Hometown heroes emerged as one of the themes Saturday morning of the Belton Fourth of July Parade. The rain held off and a cloudy overcast kept the temperature down during the 1½-hour parade, which followed a short program on the north steps of the Bell County Courthouse.
The main speaker, Brigadier Gen. Brett Sylvia, acting 1st Cavalry Division commander at Fort Hood, underscored remarks made earlier by Randy Pittenger, president of the Belton Chamber of Commerce, concerning hometown heroes. Sylvia included police officers, firefighters, educators responders and educators in that group. Other unheralded persons in the past year, during the COVID-19 pandemic and the winter storm, he said, have been truck drivers and grocery store workers.
Rain or shine, the Belton Fourth of July Parade will go on.
The popular annual event, which became a virtual event during the coronavirus crisis last year, returns to the streets of Belton this morning despite a 70 percent chance of rain by the paradeâs start.
At 9 a.m., before the parade, a 30-minute patriotic program will be held on the steps of the Bell County Courthouse, 101 E. Central Ave. in Belton.
âThis is the traditional way to start the parade,â Randy Pittenger, president of the Belton Area Chamber of Commerce, told the Telegram.
The program will include a color guard from Fort Hood, along with the singing of the National Anthem by the Belton High School Madrigal, the schoolâs show choir. A Scout troop will lead the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance and state Rep. Hugh Shine, R-Temple, will give the invocation.