TYLER, Texas — The NET Health Board of Directors met on Thursday to discuss the substantial increase of COVID-19 cases that has occurred locally since July 1, 2021, which is due in large part to the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant and has contributed to the stress being experienced by area hospitals treating the sick in our community, COVID-related and otherwise.
Although there has been a recent local uptick in COVID-19 vaccinations, the percentage of East Texans 12 and older who are fully vaccinated is generally 40% or less, with some counties only around 33%.
To augment vaccinations, other preventive measures that should be taken include (a) the use of face coverings in public settings, (b) staying home when sick, (c) good hygiene practices, and (d) social distancing. A combination of these mitigation efforts is imperative in order to relieve the burden of disease in our local community.
During their meeting, the Board passed a resolution that includes focused recommendations that embody the NET Health mission to "Prevent Illness, Promote Health and Protect Our Communities":
1. To help counteract the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19, the NET Health Board of Directors recommends all eligible persons obtain the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
2. To help counteract the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19, the NET Health Board of Directors strongly recommends schools utilize face coverings for all individuals on campus and at school-related activities, as long as this area remains in the moderate to substantial benchmark per the COVID-19 Community Spread Level document for the NET Health Jurisdiction.
3. To help counteract the uncontrolled spread of COVID-19, and in accordance with current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, the NET Health Board of Directors recommends local businesses strongly encourage masking for customers 2 and older and for employees, except while eating or drinking, as long as this area remains in the moderate to substantial benchmark per the COVID-19 Community Spread Level document for the NET Health Jurisdiction.
4. Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, the NET Health Board of Directors recommends and strongly encourages that all members of the public stay home when they are sick, practice social distancing as much as possible, and quarantine and get tested after having known close-contact exposure to a person infected with COVID-19.