COVID-19 coverage graphic

Smith County COVID-19 cases rose by 250 Tuesday for a new daily record and making the total case count reach over 1,000 within the county.

The Northeast Texas Public Health District reported 1,098 total cases, which includes 294 recoveries, five deaths and 799 active cases.

No new recoveries were reported Tuesday. The previous daily record for new cases was 72 last Friday. The first seven days of July accounts for 444 new cases.

According to NET Health, 211 of these 250 Smith County residents were diagnosed after being tested at various free mobile sites organized by the Texas Division of Emergency Management. One-hundred and eighty-six Smith County residents were tested last week at the St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Tyler, and NET Health has not received all three-day testing at the church.

“The free COVID testing sites organized by TDEM do not require the clients to have any symptoms of COVID 19,” George Roberts, NET Health CEO, said. “While we do not have precise data, it appears that many individuals who tested positive for COVID 19 were asymptomatic.”

Of the 250 new cases, 216 of those diagnosed are Tyler residents, or 86.4% of Tuesday’s increase based on NET Health data. Of the total cases, 80.5% are Tyler residents.

The fifth death was announced Monday, while the most recent prior death happened in April.

The five deaths are a 74-year-old Tyler man, a 91-year old Hideaway man, a 56 year-old Troup man, a 78-year old Tyler man and a 68 year-old Tyler man.

The Smith County COVID-19 death count does not include the death of Raul Rodriguez, 61, a Smith County Jail inmate who tested positive for the virus and died in mid-May, according to Rodriguez’s family. At the time of his death, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office said the Texas Rangers would conduct an investigation, which is standard protocol for an inmate death. The Smith County Jail reported one COVID-related death to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards that day.

Tyler hospitals are treating 70 patients from East Texas as of Tuesday, which is down by nine since Monday.

Since June 1, there have been 888 new cases based on numbers from NET Health.

Through July 5, the Texas Department of State Health Services reports 9,736 total tests were performed on people from Smith County.

According to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, there are seven inmates and two detention officers from the Smith County Jail who have an active case of COVID-19 as of Monday.

Inmates are not included in regular Smith County COVID-19 counts, but jailers are if they live in the county. TCJS numbers do not include inmates or officers who may have recovered.

Smith County statistics

The Smith County joint information center typically updates recovery numbers on Tuesdays and Fridays. The center is made up of agencies, including the city of Tyler, Smith County, NET Health and Tyler ISD.

NET Health provides updates on remaining weekdays.

Of the 1,098 cases, 884 are in Tyler, 43 in Flint, 44 in Whitehouse, 52 in Lindale, 22 in Troup, 25 in Bullard, two in Overton, seven in Arp, eight in Winona, two in Kilgore, six in Hideaway, one in Gladewater and two in Mineola.

One thousand and fifty-one cases are a result of community spread and 47 are travel-related.

Here is the age breakdown of cases:

• 0-20, 215 cases

• 21-40, 442 cases

• 41-59, 279 cases

• 60-79, 141 cases

• 80 and over, 21 cases

Regarding gender, 525 are men and 573 are women.

Other counties

NET Health announced Tuesday that Anderson County saw its first COVID-related death, a 76-year-old Palestine man.

Anderson County now has 194 cases, including 95 recoveries, according to NET Health. These numbers do not reflect inmates at the prisons in Tennessee Colony.

In Gregg County, there are 668 COVID-19 cases, including 14 deaths and 146 recoveries, according to the Gregg County Health Department.

Van Zandt County has 150 cases, including three deaths and 35 recoveries, NET Health reported.

Henderson County has 215 cases, including four deaths and 74 recoveries, according to NET Health.

Wood County has 115 COVID-19 cases, including the deaths of five Winnsboro residents and 62 recoveries, according to NET Health.

Rains County has 16 cases, including six recoveries, NET Health reported.

In Cherokee County, there are 271 COVID-19 cases, including 96 recoveries and two deaths, according to the Cherokee County Public Health Department.