NET Health: All counties simultaneously reach minimal community spreads of COVID-19

Published 5:50 pm Monday, November 15, 2021

For the first time since early-to-mid June, all seven counties covered in the Northeast Texas Public Health District have simultaneously reached minimal community spread levels of COVID-19.

On Nov. 1, four counties were seeing moderate levels of the virus, while Gregg and Anderson counties were in minimal spread. Some counties, including Gregg, vacillated between minimal and moderate spreads, but NET Health’s data released Monday shows the first time all counties are in minimal spread levels since earlier this summer.

Gregg County’s community spread level increased by 32% from 3.57 Thursday to 4.72 Monday, remaining at the lower half the minimal spread window, which consists of a rate of between zero and 10.

The county sitting at the lowest spread levels of the virus is Rains County at 3.42 while and the county sitting at the highest levels of minimal spread is Van Zandt County at 9.34. Smith County has the second-highest level of 9.08, according to data released Monday.

Minimal community spread indicates evidence of isolated cases or limited community transmission, that cases are underway and that there is no evidence of exposure in large, congregate settings.

About a month ago in the week ending Sept. 23, each of the counties had levels of community spread that were substantial — or 35 or more new cases per week adjusted for population.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Gregg County plummeted nearly 11% since last week. NET Health reported 25 total — 13 confirmed and 12 probable — new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the county since Thursday’s report. The report also shows a drop in overall active cases in the county, falling from 215 on Thursday to 192 Monday.

According to NET Health, there were 69 East Texans being treated for COVID-19 at Tyler hospitals on Monday. The last time Smith County saw a similarly low local hospitalization rate was in August. Thursday’s data is 82% lower than the high hospitalization rate of 389, which was reached two months ago in Tyler.

On Thursday, there were 106 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the state’s 19-county Trauma Region G, approximately 20 fewer than there were on Thursday. Of COVID patients hospitalized, 48 of those are in ICUs and 35 patients are on ventilators. In the first half of September, hospitalizations reached 822, the highest number of single-day COVID-19 hospitalizations in the region since the pandemic began.

As of Nov. 4, children 5 to 11 years of age are included in vaccination numbers and rates.

In Gregg County, 46.19% of people 5 and older were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on Monday, according to the state. On Monday, 80.14% of Gregg County residents 65 and older had been fully vaccinated.

Data gathered in Monday’s report represents the past 96 hours, from noon Thursday to noon Monday.