“COVID[-19] community levels increased to high following Christmas,” Taneja said “Tarrant County Public Health is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.”
The CDC recommends when the COVID-19 community level is high that individuals in that region wear a high-quality mask or respirator. If an individual is at high risk of getting very sick, they should consider avoiding nonessential indoor activities in public where exposure could occur. If an individual has had household or social contact with someone at high risk for getting very sick, they should consider self-testing to detect infection before contact and consider wearing a high-quality mask when indoors with them.
The latest COVID-19 variant of concern, XBB.1.5, is on the rise in several regions across the country. However, the BQ.1.1 variant, which is responsible for the majority of COVID-19 cases in the U.S., is still the predominant strain in Texas with XBB.1.5 gaining momentum as a close second, according to the CDC.
“Regardless of the strain, following existing TCPH and CDC guidelines will help protect the health of our community,” Taneja said. “Pay close attention to those guidelines, and make a good choice for your health and the health of others around you.”
Taneja went on to say that there are three key steps to guarding individuals and their families against contracting COVID-19.
“Get vaccinated and up to date on boosters; wear a mask in indoor settings when people other than immediate household members are present; and avoid nonessential indoor activities where large crowds may be gathering,” he said.
According to TCPH, cases per 100,000 residents rose from 40 on Oct. 22 to 144 by Dec. 31, reflecting a 260% increase. As of Jan. 10, 7.9% of staffed inpatient beds in the county are filled with COVID-19 patients.
Tarrant County requested proposals for projects from nonprofit, local government, and quasi-governmental agencies that respond to the focus areas and goals guiding the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposals were accepted in the following areas: improve public health and wellness; revitalize the economy; and strengthen the community, according to the latest Tarrant County COVID-19 Recovery Report.
To help revitalize the economy, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court allocated $25 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funding to assist small businesses impacted by COVID-19 with workforce recovery, retention, recruitment, training and development. As part of that effort, the commissioners court implemented the Tarrant County Small Business Workforce Recovery Grant Program that funneled money to impacted for-profit and nonprofit small businesses that had 50 or fewer employees during the first quarter of 2020. Affected businesses could have applied for grants of up to $27,500 based on eligibility requirements and employee count. As of the report’s release date on Jan. 9, a total of 5,899 applications have been received—2,825 were approved and a total of $18,290,500 has been awarded.
The Tarrant County Emergency Rental Assistance Program was created to help strengthen the community by bolstering renters who have suffered a financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and are now struggling to pay rent and/or utilities. The report showed that 2,439 Tarrant County households have been paid $26,497,227 worth of assistance.
In terms of improving public health and wellness, the report stated TCPH has administered 228,462 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, 208,488 second doses and 22,672 third doses for a total of 459,643 total doses as of Jan. 9. The total number of vaccines administered in Tarrant County is 3,628,193, and 1,400,193 individuals in Tarrant County are fully vaccinated.
