Registered Nurse Kambri Badgett prepares COVID-19 vaccinations for Saving Our City Push for Health Rally in 2021.

Smith County’s seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 infection has dropped by more than 15% since Wednesday, according to the most recent data released by the Northeast Public Health District.

As of Monday, Smith County has dipped back down to a minimal community spread level of the virus. At 9.02, Smith County’s spread level remains on the higher end of the minimal benchmark which is measured on a scale from zero to 10. Smith County had reached a moderate spread level of 10.67 on Wednesday.

The minimal community spread window 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.

Smith County saw 51 new total cases — 40 confirmed and 11 probable — reported in Monday’s data. The county’s total active cases rose by nearly 7%, as there are now 680 total active cases within the county, as opposed to the 637 total active cases reported Wednesday. At the beginning of the month, there were over 1,000 total active cases within the county.

Only two counties in NET Health’s seven-county jurisdiction remain at a moderate spread level, which is measured on a scale of 10 to 35. According to Monday’s data, Wood County remains highest in the area at a level of 13.17 while Van Zandt is at 12.11. Anderson remains in the lowest levels of minimal spread at 1.97, followed by Gregg at 3.34 and Rains at 3.42. Henderson’s level is also still minimal at 7.25 as of Monday.

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.

Just two months ago in the week ending Sept. 23, each county had levels of community spread that were substantial — or 35 or more new cases per week adjusted for population.

Throughout the month of October, there were 1,913 new COVID-19 cases reported within the county compared to September, in which new cases totaled 8,351, according to NET Health data. There have been 37,223 COVID-19 cases in the county since the pandemic began.

According to NET Health, there were 75 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. Monday’s data is 81% lower than the hospitalization rate of 389 reached two months ago in Tyler.

One Smith County jail inmate had an active diagnosis of COVID-19, according to NET Health’s data on Monday, and one inmate has died due to COVID-19.

On Monday, there were 98 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in the state’s 19-county Trauma Region G, nine more than the amount of patients reported on Wednesday. Of COVID patients hospitalized, 40 of those are in ICUs and 16 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.

In Smith County, 52.27% of people age 5 and older had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 46.05% of people age 5 and older had been fully vaccinated, according to the state.

State data shows 84.29% of people 65 and older in the county had been vaccinated with at least one dose on Monday, while 78.13% of that population had been fully vaccinated.

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

Other Counties

Gregg County had 11 new cases reported Monday, 9 of those confirmed cases and two probable cases Monday, for a total of 172 active cases. Confirmed recoveries were at 8,937, while there were 10,060 probable recoveries, according to NET Health. Gregg County remains in the minimal spread level of the virus, at 3.34, the second-lowest level in the seven-county district.

Henderson County had 16 confirmed active cases and 2 probable active cases, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries were at 6,242, and there were 3,348 probable recoveries in the county, NET Health said.

Van Zandt County had 16 confirmed active cases and 11 probable active cases, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries were at 4,614, and 3,351 people had likely recovered in Van Zandt County, NET Health reported.

Anderson County had 1 confirmed active case Monday, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries were at 2,544, and probable recoveries were at 2,945, the health district reported.

Wood County had 7 confirmed new cases and 18 probable active cases, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries in Wood County were at 3,459 with 2,927 probable recoveries, NET Health said.

Rains County had 1 confirmed active case since Wednesday’s report, NET Health said. Confirmed recoveries were at 722 with 771 probable recoveries, according to NET Health.

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