COVID-19 coverage graphic

The Northeast Texas Public Health District recorded two COVID-19 related deaths in Smith County, making the county’s virus death toll reach 16.

A 67-year old Tyler man and an 84-year old Whitehouse resident both died due to the coronavirus, NET Health said on Thursday.

The 14 previous COVID-19 deaths in Smith County include a 63-year-old Kilgore man, a 66-year-old Tyler man, 88-year-old Whitehouse woman, 74-year-old Tyler man, 66-year-old Lindale woman, 68-year-old Lindale woman, 77-year-old Tyler man, 91-year-old Hideaway man, 56 year-old Troup man, a 78-year-old Tyler man, a 68-year-old Tyler man, 87-year-old Tyler woman, 95-year-old Tyler man and 74-year-old Tyler man.

Also on Thursday, Smith County COVID-19 cases rose by 41 for a new cumulative count of 2,292. This number dates back to March 13.

There are currently 646 recoveries and 1,630 active cases as of Thursday, according to NET Health.

The number of East Texas patients being treated at Tyler hospitals is at 153 as of Thursday, which is down by four since Wednesday.

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.

Mobile Testing

The Texas Department of Emergency Management and the Texas Department of State Health Services will continue free walk-up COVID-19 testing for anyone with or without COVID-19 symptoms at the Tyler Senior Center, 1915 Garden Valley Road from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Monday.

The tests are free and do not require advanced registration, but pre-registration can be completed at texas.curativeinc.com. Those who receive a test must have access to a cell phone because results will be returned by text message.

NET Health said none of the COVID-19 positive cases in its seven-county area include positive antibody tests from local mobile testing sites, hospitals or community clinics since the virus reached East Texas in early March. NET Health’s coverage area includes Smith, Gregg, Henderson, Anderson, Wood, Rains and Van Zandt counties.

Other counties

Gregg County recorded the deaths of two residents, making the total death toll reach 22.

A 79-year-old man and a 69-year-old man died. Both had health complications, including diabetes, Gregg County Health Authority Dr. Lewis Browne said.

Browne said they were both hospitalized for about two weeks.

Coronavirus cases went up by 20, while recoveries rose by 24 on Thursday. The county has 1,345 cumulative cases, including 276 recoveries and the 22 deaths, Gregg County Health Administrator A.J. Harris said.

Browne said Longview hospitalizations remain in the upper 90 range.

Wood County recorded its ninth COVID-19 related death on Thursday. This person lived in Alba. The previous deaths were five from Winnsboro and three from Mineola, according to NET Health. Cases in Wood County also rose to 284, including 126 recoveries and the nine deaths.

Anderson County reported its third virus related death, a Palestine resident. The two previous deaths were men from Palestine. Cases in Anderson County are at 448, including 184 recoveries and three deaths, according to NET Health.These numbers do not reflect inmates at the prisons in Tennessee Colony.

Henderson County has 570 cases, including 160 recoveries and seven deaths. The county’s virus death toll includes two Athens residents, two Chandler residents and one person each from Malakoff, Mabank and Trinidad, according to NET Health.

Van Zandt County cases are at 328 with 112 recoveries and four deaths. The county’s death count is made up of a Canton resident, Grand Saline resident, Edgewood resident and a Murchison woman, NET Health data shows.

Rains County has 45 diagnoses, including 13 recoveries and the death of a 76-year-old man from Point.

In Cherokee County, there are 751 cases, including 508 recoveries and two deaths, according to the Cherokee County Public Health Department. This count also includes the deaths of a Rusk resident and a Wells resident.

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 2,292 cases, 1,795 are in Tyler, 92 in Flint, 107 in Whitehouse, 147 in Lindale, 37 in Troup, 35 in Bullard, three in Overton, 20 in Arp, 19 in Winona, five in Kilgore, 24 in Hideaway, two in Gladewater and six in Mineola.

Of the total cases, 2,241 are a result of community spread and 51 are travel-related.

Here is the age breakdown:

0-20, 452 cases

21-40, 834 cases

41-59, 569 cases

60-79, 362 cases

80 and over, 75 cases

Regarding gender, 1,084 are men and 1,208 are women.

Smith County Jail

According to the TCJS, there is one inmate and 14 detention officers from the Smith County Jail who have an active case of COVID-19 as of Wednesday.

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.