Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt speaks in January about the now-closed COVID-19 vaccine hub being established in Longview.  (Michael Cavazos/ News-Journal File Photo)

Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt is sounding an alarm about the importance of getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as Longview’s two hospitals are struggling under the weight of the current surge in cases.

“If you hear my voice, and the seriousness of it, that’s how serious it is,” he said of the current COVID-19 situation. He spoke Friday morning after meeting with local emergency operations officials, including hospital representatives. “We heard from both hospitals today and this is getting ready to turn into something that people have got to take personal responsibility for and get their shots. I cannot emphasize that any stronger.”

Emergency officials met to discuss the path forward, he said, as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in Gregg County and the surrounding area. Two important points came out of that meeting, he said.

“Two things were very apparent — the lack of seriousness of getting vaccine that the public doesn’t seem to understand how incredibly important it is,” Stoudt said, adding that it’s largely people in the age 16-55 category that aren’t getting vaccinated. He said about 13% of the county’s population in that age category are vaccinated, compared with about 75% of the older population.

“There’s medical evidence everywhere that shows that if you have the vaccine, the chances of you getting critically ill are nonexistent…, If you don’t have the vaccine, the chance of you getting critically ill are higher. I think that’s the message.”

The Delta variant that has been spreading recently is more powerful than the original COVID-19, he said.

Christus Good Shepherd and Longview Regional Medical Center are starting to see hospitalizations at a higher number than the peak of the first COVID-19 outbreak, Stoudt said.

“They’re approaching a point where they are going to have to decide what’s most critical to treat, versus what isn’t because of the patients that are critically ill with COVID,” he said. 

The strain is weighing on hospital employees, he said.

“Ninety-five percent of critically ill patients they’re dealing with right now did not have a shot,” he said, and described one hospital official who said the younger people coming to the hospital seriously ill with COVID-19 express regret about not having been vaccinated.

Gov. Greg Abbott has restricted actions that local government agencies and schools can take regarding COVID-19 restrictions. Stoudt said local officials will will be working to encourage people to get vaccinated and educate the public about the safety and importance of the vaccine.

“This go round is going to be a whole lot more about personal responsibility,” he said.

It’s time to return to the basics of prevention that were introduced when COVID-19 entered the world in 2020, he said, including avoiding large crowds and wearing face masks.