Nurse Cheyenne Barrett prepares a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for the mobile clinic at the Whitehouse ISD Technology Center in May 2021.

Smith County’s community spread levels of COVID-19 continued to decrease, along with the number of those hospitalized from the virus in Monday’s bi-weekly COVID-19 report from the Northeast Texas Public Health District.

In just over one week, the rate of community spread of COVID-19 in Smith County has decreased by nearly 40 percent, according to Monday’s report.

While the rate of spread remains classified as “substantial,” the drop has been significant since the Sept. 16 report: from 137.48 to 86.17 Thursday, and Monday, another slight decrease to 85.43. In total, 458 new cases of COVID-19 were reported Monday in Smith County, with 247 new confirmed cases and 211 new probable cases. There are now 7,753 total active cases within the county.

The level of community spread is determined by taking the average number of all COVID-19 positive cases from the previous seven days. That number is then divided by the population of the county and multiplied by 100,000.

According to NET Health, there were 297 East Texans being treated for COVID-19 at Tyler hospitals on Monday, which is about 24 percent lower than the high of 389, which was set earlier this month just after Labor Day weekend.

Two Smith County Jail inmates on Monday had an active diagnosis of COVID-19, according to NET Health. One inmate has died due to COVID-19.

Data gathered in Monday’s report represents the past 72 hours, from noon Thursday to noon Monday.

All seven counties covered by NET Health on Monday again had “substantial” levels of community spread. Substantial community spread represents “large-scale, uncontrolled community transmission,” according to NET Health.

On Monday, the latest day for which data was available, there were 629 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the state’s 19-county Trauma Region G, approximately 94 fewer than there were on Thursday. Of covid patients hospitalized, 258 of those are in ICUs. Earlier this month, hospitalizations reached 822, the highest number of single-day COVID-19 hospitalizations in the region since the pandemic began.

Monday’s report on patients hospitalized in Trauma Region G mark lower COVID-19 hospitalizations the region has seen since Aug. 19.

Hospitalizations in recent weeks have surpassed a peak in January when the single-day number of patients peaked at 684 on Jan. 6.

In Smith County, 54.48% of people 12 and older had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 46.89% of people 12 and older had been fully vaccinated, according to the state.

State data shows 82.03% of people age 65 and older in the county had been vaccinated with at least one dose on Monday, while 75.61% of that population had been fully vaccinated.

Other countiesGregg County had 1,204 confirmed and 2,781 probable active cases Monday. Confirmed recoveries were at 7,368, while there were 6,887 probable recoveries, according to NET Health.

Henderson County had 1,021 confirmed active cases and 732 probable active cases, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries were at 4,959, and there were 2,453 probable recoveries in the county, NET Health said.

Van Zandt County had 829 confirmed active cases and 777 probable active cases, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries were at 3,508, and 2,266 people had likely recovered in Van Zandt County, NET Health reported.

Anderson County had 33 confirmed active cases and 902 probable active cases, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries were at 2,208, and probable recoveries were at 1,847, the health district reported.

Wood County had 696 confirmed active cases and 795 probable active cases, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries in Wood County were at 2,541, and there were 1,944 probable recoveries, NET Health said.

Rains County had 11 confirmed active and 17 probable active diagnoses, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries were at 540, and there were 517 probable recoveries, according to NET Health.

There are 15,296 men with a diagnosis and 18,592 women with a diagnosis. Approximately 4,007 individuals from 0 to 20 years of age have a diagnosis, while 6,491 individuals aged 21 to 40 years of age also have a diagnosis. There are 4,786 individuals aged 41 to 59 with a diagnosis, 3,158 individuals aged 60 to 79 with a diagnosis, as well as 830 individuals over 80 years of age.