WACO, Texas — The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District Director Brenda Gray was terminated, Waco Public Information Officer Larry Holze said Tuesday.
Holze did not provide details on why Gray was let go. He said decisions on terminations come from the city manager's office.
"We want to thank her for her service during these challenging times and wish her well in her future endeavors," said Holze.
Gray's departure comes as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise at exponential rates in McLennan County. The health district reported a 97-year-old Black woman was the 25th person to die. As of Tuesday, the health district was reporting 3,575 positive cases with 1,564 of those active.
A White House report showed McLennan County was among the 12 worst "hotspot" counties in the state. The report, which was released July 14, named Texas as a "red zone" state. It looked at the number of new cases reported in the three weeks before July 14. McLennan County reported 2,237 new cases according to the health district.
The 7-day positivity rate average in McLennan County was at 23%. The White House report said the state's positivity rate over that three week period was 20.6%.
Gray started as health district director in May 2019. Holze said Health Authority Dr. Farley Verner will continue to oversee all medical issues in the county.
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