Bowie County adjusts COVID-19 death toll to 74

A change to match how the state categorizes counted COVID-19 deaths led to local officials on Thursday raising the Bowie County death toll to 74, an increase of three since the last report on Monday.

The Bowie County emergency Joint Operations Center now counts only county residents in its total of deaths because of the disease, rather than counting anyone who died of it in the county, regardless of where they lived. That is consistent with how the Texas Department of State Health Services categorizes COVID-19 deaths by county.

A review of death certificates showed 74 Bowie County residents had COVID-19 listed as a direct t cause of death, the same standard used by DSHS, JOC spokesperson Lisa a Thompson said.

“A medical certifier, usually a doctor, determines the cause(s) of death. DSHS does not include deaths of

people who had COVID-19 but died of an unrelated cause. Fatalities are reported by where the person lived as listed on the death certificate,” the DSHS website states.

The JOC on Thursday reported 1,425 cumulative confirmed coronavirus cases in Bowie County, an increase of 47 since Monday, with 1,059 patients categorized as recovered and no longer traced.

Elsewhere in Northeast Texas, Red River County’s case rose from 167 to 169, Morris County’s from 191 to 194, Cass County’s from 389 to 406, and Titus County’s from 1,487 to 1,498, according to DSHS.

In Southwest Arkansas, Miller County reported an increase in cases of 56, from 857 to 913, Monday to Thursday. Miller County had 804 recoveries, 99 active cases and 10 deaths, according to the Arkansas Department of Health.

Lafayette County’s tally rose from 117 to 124, Nevada County’s from 222 to 227,

Pike County’s from 233 to 238, Little River County’s from 354 to 356, Hempstead County’s from 388 to 406, Howard County’s from 476 to 481 and Sevier County’s from 1,197 to 1,199, according to ADH.

In Northwest Louisiana, Caddo Parish’s case count increased from 8,884 to 9,107 and Bossier Parish’s from 3,427 to 3,524, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.

Statewide, Arkansas reported 85,980 total cases with 1,503 deaths, Louisiana reported 170,621 cases and 5,416 deaths, and Texas reported 781,794 cases with 16,334 deaths.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 7,528,313 cases so far in the U.S. and a national death toll of 211,132.