NET Health board recommends masking in schools, businesses due to COVID-19 rise

Published 9:43 am Friday, September 3, 2021

The Northeast Texas Public Health District is strongly recommending that schools and businesses use face coverings due to the substantial increase in COVID-19 cases.

NET Health’s board of directors on Thursday night issued a resolution with strong recommendations in light of the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant and significant increases in COVID-19-related hospitalizations.

The resolution also notes that despite a rise in COVID-19 vaccinations, the percentage of East Texans who are 12 years and older and fully vaccinated is generally 40% or less, with some counties only around 33%.

NET Health’s resolution recommends all eligible people get vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as possible.

The health district also asks that school officials implement face coverings for all individuals on campus and at school-related activities, as long as the area is under moderate or substantial spread levels of COVID-19.

All seven counties (Smith, Gregg, Henderson, Rains, Van Zandt, Anderson and Wood) covered by NET Health are under substantial spread, which means there is large-scale, uncontrollable community spread of the virus.

The health district board also suggests local businesses strongly encourage masking for customers who are 2 years old and older and for employees, except while eating or drinking if the area is under moderate to substantial spread.

The NET Health board also strongly encourages that people stay home when they are sick, practice social distancing as much as possible, and quarantine and get tested after having known close-contact exposure to a person diagnosed with COVID-19.

As of this Thursday, 368 East Texans are receiving treatment for COVID-19 at Tyler hospitals.

According to NET Health, over the past seven days, there is an average of 112 different residents every day in Smith County who are testing positive for COVID-19. Data shows 117 residents in Gregg County test positive for COVID-19 daily.

In the past week, NET Health data shows the daily average in Anderson County is 70 residents, 81 different residents each day in Henderson County, 77 residents in Van Zandt County, 82 residents in Rains County and 122 residents in Wood County.