Montgomery County reached a new high in active COVID-19 cases June 17 with 584, including an increase of 46 active cases over June 16, according to the county public health district and emergency management office.
A total of 1,428 COVID-19 cases has been reported in Montgomery County, including 69 new cases added June 17, the county's highest single-day case increase yet. Twenty-three recoveries were also reported June 17, bringing the county's total recovery count to 811.
The county's seven-day new case average continues to trend upward. Since May 28, when the seven-day new case average reached its lowest point since March, that figure has risen by more than 350%.
Although the county's hospital system is accepting an increasing number of COVID-19 patients from throughout the region, Montgomery County resident hospitalizations remain low. Eleven residents, or 1.88% of active cases in the county, were hospitalized as of June 17.
The recent rise in local cases has accompanied an increase statewide. In a June 16 press conference, Gov. Greg Abbott attributed Texas' growing case count to the wider availability of COVID-19 testing and the ongoing release of test results from state jails and nursing homes. Abbott said the phased reopening of the state's economy may be contributing to an increase in cases as well.
County officials have said the increasing local case numbers are also partially due to the inclusion of data from two local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, the Joe Corley Detention Center and Montgomery Processing Center. Jason Millsaps, executive director of the county emergency management office, said 106 COVID-19 cases at the processing center and 87 cases at the Corley detention center were reported as of June 16 with 11 additional ICE cases reported June 17. Millsaps also said the county jail system, including employees, has reported zero positive cases.
According to ICE's live COVID-19 database, 115 detainee cases have been recorded at the processing center and 42 detainee cases have been recorded at the Corley detention center as of June 17. However, ICE only tracks COVID-19 cases among its own detainees at agency facilities.
