The Texas Department of State Health Services recorded 16,652 active cases of COVID-19 in Montgomery County, according to the department's dashboard as of its Jan. 11 update.

According to the county’s active case dashboard, this figure is the highest total of active cases recorded on a single day since the pandemic began.

The SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council showed that 28.7% of hospital beds in the county are occupied by patients testing positive for COVID-19, also in a Jan. 4 update. SETRAC reported that 253 patients are in general care while 40 are in intensive care units.

County faces testing shortage

Jason Millsaps, director of the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, delivered a COVID-19 update to county commissioners at the first session of Commissioners Court in 2022 on Jan. 11.



Millsaps highlighted a testing shortage for both rapid antigen tests and PCR tests for COVID-19, and attributed the shortage due to supply and allocation processes from the federal government.

“That’s our biggest challenge, getting antigen tests,” Millsaps said.

Millsaps also highlighted a shortage in monoclonal antibody treatments that Community Impact Newspaper previously reported on in September. A change in the federal government’s allocation formula resulted in counties receiving fewer doses of antibody treatments, which are used on patients experiencing milder COVID-19 symptoms.

“In some cases, even if doctors prescribe treatments, we’re unable to fill them because we don’t have supplies, and we can’t order them,” Millsaps said.


According to Millsaps and OHSEM projections, the omicron variant’s surge in Montgomery County is expected to peak “within this week or the next” before leveling off.

Commissioners approved $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding for masks, gloves and sanitizers to be prioritized for county custodial staff and the county jail. Commissioners also asked Millsaps to present a briefing of available COVID-19 supplies in a county warehouse at the next session of Commissioners Court.