COVID-19 cases decreasing in Denton County after September spike

The Denton County Public Health Department announced 410 new cases of COVID-19 on Oct. 13, a decrease from the 1,052 cases reported a little more than a month ago on Sept. 9.

Total COVID-19 hospitalizations have decreased as well. As of Oct. 13, 16.8% of hospitalizations in the county are COVID-19 cases, compared to the pandemic high of 32.4% on Sept. 6.

While the number of reported cases is decreasing in the county, the public still has a long way to go in terms of lowering transmission, said Dr. Matt Richardson, Denton County director of public health.

The county is considered an area of high risk for transmission, with over 100 cases of COVID-19 reported per 100,000 people per week. In order to be considered of moderate risk, the county would need to report less than 450 positive cases in one week. Richardson said the county reported almost 450 cases just on Oct. 11.

“It’s not time to let up on the vaccine availability or access. It’s not time to resume our life as we knew it in early 2019, but we’re working on it,” Richardson said, “If we can work together, we’re going to get there, but it’s going to take work and it’s going to take some compliance.”

The county continues to administer more vaccines, having given out a total of 10,029 booster shots as of Oct. 11. People can receive booster shots as soon as eight months after their second dose, Richardson said.

For more information on vaccination sites and eligibility, click here.