Trust Index: Decline in COVID-19 deaths in Fort Bend County, officials say

HOUSTON – The pathway to success in cutting down coronavirus cases and deaths is a complex one. However, Fort Bend County, the tenth-most populous county in the state, is quietly putting together a string of days where the county has announced no deaths.

In fact, the county has only had one COVID-19 death since May 13.

Multiple people that Channel 2 Investigates spoke with were surprised by the county’s performance.

“I keep my fingers crossed that is going to be the case moving forward," said County Judge KP George.

Since becoming the first county in Texas to announce a coronavirus case on March 4, the county has seen 1,732 cases, 41 deaths and 508 recoveries as of Tuesday night.

Earlier this month, documents leaked from the White House showed the county was facing national scrutiny during the pandemic.

However, since then, the county has seen the number of deaths dwindle dramatically. George and his team are closely monitoring the daily numbers after the economy steadily opens up and the barriers of social distancing at restaurants and bars over the Memorial Day were compromised in multiple places around the Greater Houston area.

“The next couple of weeks going to be very important for us to see if there are any impact," George said.

George is concerned with how Memorial Day weekend gatherings involving county residents will impact the positive trend as testing results come back in the next week.

However, overall George says he likes what he sees.

“I feel very confident, I feel very comfortable about the pace we are moving and the numbers looking very comfortable .. as of now,” he said.


About the Author:

Journalistic bulldog focused on accountability and how government is spending your dollars. Husband to Wonder Woman, father to a pitcher and two Cavapoos. Prefers queso over salsa.