Gregg County’s community spread levels of COVID-19 decline as active cases fall

Published 5:00 pm Monday, November 22, 2021

Gregg County saw its active COVID-19 cases fall by more than 5% since Thursday, according to data released Monday from the Northeast Public Health District. 

Overall active cases dropped from 159 on Thursday to 150 Monday. There were 18 total — eight confirmed and 10 probable — new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the county since Thursday’s report. 

The county’s community spread level, which is the second-lowest in NET Health’s seven-county jurisdiction, decreased from 4.95 Thursday to 4.14 Monday. Gregg County remains in the minimal spread level, which consists of a rate between zero and 10.

Additionally, one more county has joined Van Zandt as the only two counties in NET Health’s seven-county jurisdiction to reach moderate spread levels of the virus after all counties simultaneously dipped down to minimal spreads of the virus last Monday. Wood County’s spread level, now at 13.80, is higher than Van Zandt’s, which previously saw the highest spread level in the district but now is at 11.86.

Of the five counties remaining in minimal spreads, Smith’s level is now 7.67, the highest next only to Henderson and Anderson counties, both sitting at 5.69. Rains County’s level of 1.14 remains the lowest in the district.

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.

In Gregg County, 46.49% of people 5 and older were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 on Monday, according to the state. On Monday, 80.47% of Gregg County residents 65 and older had been fully vaccinated. 

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

According to NET Health, there were 63 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 late July. Thursday’s data is 83% lower than the hospitalization rate of 389 reached two months ago in Tyler.

On Monday, there were 89 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the state’s 19-county Trauma Region G, approximately eight fewer than there were on Thursday. Of COVID patients hospitalized, 29 of those are in ICUs and 23 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.