AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — City of Amarillo Department of Public Health officials recently released two report cards covering the status of both COVID-19 and influenza in Potter and Randall counties.
COVID-19 Report Card
The City of Amarillo Department of Public Health released its most recent COVID-19 report card late last week, with combined weekly data for Potter and Randall counties, total COVID-19 data from March 2020, and the most recent information on COVID-19 hospitalizations.
COVID-19 hospitalization
According to the January 12 COVID-19 Report Card, 21 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19, three of whom were reported as being admitted to the intensive care unit. The numbers are reported to the Department of Public Health by the BSA Health System, Northwest Texas Healthcare System and Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center.
As of Aug. 1, 2021, APH said there have been 547 COVID-19 patient deaths in Amarillo, 81 percent of which were reported as unvaccinated.
Overview of the COVID-19 report card
In the report card, the public health department said Potter and Randall counties saw 414 total new cases from Jan. 6 to Jan. 12, with a seven-day new case average of 59 new COVID-19 cases per day, as well as a seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate of 17%.
Since March 2020, the Department of Public Health reports there have been a total of 87,840 cases of COVID-19 in Potter and Randall counties. The department also reports that there have been 1,319 COVID-19-related deaths since the pandemic began.
City officials said earlier that public health department officials will continue to update the COVID-19 dashboard on the Amarillo Alerts website daily.
Latest information about COVID-19
The hospitalization rate for the High Plains Trauma Service Area A was noted at 2 percent according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Trauma Service Area A also reports the following data on hospital admissions related to COVID-19:
Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients currently in hospital: 21;
COVID-19 adult patients in general beds: 19;
Adult COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds: 2;
COVID-19 pediatric patients in hospital: 0;
COVID-19 hospitalizations confirmed in the last 24 hours: 5;
Confirmed COVID-19 patients on ventilators: 0;
Hospital beds with total staff: 1,052;
Total occupied hospital beds: 924;
Available hospital beds: 236;
Beds in intensive care for adults with available staff: 5;
Beds in supervised pediatric intensive care unit: 1;
Available fans: 142.
| county | Confirmed cases reported | Deceased |
| Armstrong | 439 | 10 |
| Beaver | 1,149 | 9 |
| Briscoe | 422 | 8 |
| carson | 1.173 | 38 |
| Castro | 2.163 | 48 |
| Child | 2,785 | 34 |
| Cimarrone | 691 | 2 |
| Collingworth | 552 | 16 |
| Cottle | 330 | 9 |
| Curry | 15.083 | 233 |
| Melody | 1,780 | 44 |
| Deaf Smith | 4,350 | 118 |
| Donley | 494 | 26 |
| Grey | 4,379 | 133 |
| Room | 992 | 24 |
| Hardman | 567 | 21 |
| Hansford | 729 | 30 |
| harley | 1.051 | 3 |
| Hemp | 1.205 | 8 |
| Hutchinson | 5,984 | 146 |
| Lip crest | 588 | 17 |
| Moore | 4.039 | 115 |
| Ochiltree | 2.213 | 49 |
| Oldham | 338 | 6 |
| By sea | 1,543 | 54 |
| Potter | 41,923 | 778 |
| Quay | 2,528 | 70 |
| Randall | 44,758 | 541 |
| roberts | 160 | 2 |
| Roosevelt | 6.078 | 110 |
| Shermann | 377 | 16 |
| Swisher | 1,354 | 34 |
| Texas | 6,740 | 39 |
| Union | 929 | 20 |
| Wheeler | 1.014 | 25 |
| TOTAL | 160,900 | 2,836 |
Influenza Report Card
In the midst of an increase in respiratory illnesses in the Texas Panhandle region, the City of Amarillo Department of Public Health has released information on the number of flu cases that have been reported in Potter and Randall counties.
According to a Facebook post from the city’s public health department, this flu report is created from data voluntarily provided to the department by vendors in Potter and Randall counties.
In the report card, public health department officials distributed flu data on a weekly basis, from the week ending December 5, 2022 through January 9. In that time period, officials reported 8,159 flu-related cases in Potter and Randall counties.
Week ending December 5, 2022
- Influenza A-966
- Influenza B-40
- Influenza-like illness (defined as a patient with a fever greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, cough, and/or sore throat who has not been tested for the flu or has a negative result) – 1,123
- Undifferentiated (tests did not differentiate between influenza A or B) – 0
- Total – 2,129
Week ending December 12, 2022
- Influenza A –1,166
- Flu B-29
- Influenza-like illness – 916
- Undifferentiated – 277
- Total – 2,388
Week ending December 19, 2022
- Influenza A-831
- Flu B-6
- Influenza-like illness – 822
- Undifferentiated – 76
- Total – 1,735
Week ending December 26, 2022
- Influenza A-237
- Flu B-12
- Influenza-like illness – 479
- Undifferentiated – 0
- Total – 728
Week ending January 3rd
- Influenza A-260
- Flu B-18
- Influenza-like illness – 387
- undifferentiated – 2
- Total – 667
Week ending January 9th
- Influenza A-88
- Flu B-6
- Influenza-like illness – 418
- Undifferentiated – 0
- Total – 512
Public Health Department officials have encouraged Potter and Randall County residents to stay up to date on their flu shot, which is recommended annually for everyone six months and older. They also recommended people stay home if they are sick, wash their hands often, clean and disinfect objects and surfaces, and not touch their faces with unwashed hands.
For more information, visit the city’s Department of Public Health website.