WACO, Texas — Elected officials and health leaders from around McLennan County are meeting to host their weekly COVID-19 update to area residents and local news outlets.
The update comes as high schools and middle schools throughout the county have temporarily closed due to COVID-19 infections or exposures among both students and staff. Daily virus infection reports from the county have begun to climb into the triple digits again, with yesterday reporting a high of 217 cases. The daily increase in cases has resulted in a total of 1,105 active cases.
Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 deaths is 165.
With surge testing available around Waco and the use of a new mobile testing van, the increase in reported infections has risen along with the exposures in school districts.
Local officials are anticipated to address the sharp increase in cases and measures being taken to slow the spread of the virus.
Check back here for highlights from the weekly update.
Highlights from the meeting:
- There is a 7.5 percent positivity rate among surge testing, which has conducted more than 17,000 tests.
- There are 13 resident care facility outbreaks, totaling 24 active cases. The county jail currently has one active case. The county is investigating two church clusters. Fourteen school districts and a handful of private schools have reported cases. The county schools have a total of 156 cases, 110 of which are students.
- Dr. Jackson Griggs said there are 50 cases per 100,000 people in McLennan County, which is higher than both the U.S. and Texas averages. He said the county is now in "uncharted territory" due to the number of new cases. The death count, he went on, will soon reflect the increase.
- The county now has exponential spread, with a positivity rate of 12 percent.
- Dr. Brian Becker continues to recommend people to get vaccinated for the flu.
- Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver reports that the county average number of cases has doubled over the past two weeks. The exponential growth, he said, is partially a result of Halloween parties.
- Mayor Deaver reiterated Dr. Grigg's point that although deaths and ventilator use remain low now, they will increase over the coming weeks as a result of the high number of new cases.
- Dr. Griggs said that the spread of the virus is happening among friend groups and extended families where people feel comfortable not wearing masks and not social distancing. So, he went on to stress that people should continue to wear masks and maintain a distance with people not in their immediate household.
