County sees refreshing decline in Covid numbers

Wichita County got a muchneed reprieve from rising COVID-19 numbers when only 637 new infections were reported this week by Wichita Falls Wichita County Health District, down from the 1,083 new cases reported last week.

In addition, recoveries reached 980 in the past week ending Tuesday evening, and hospitalizations dropped to 106 this week with 27 of those reported to be in critical condition.

Deaths stemming from the novel Coronavirus in Wichita County from January 13 - 19 remained steady, with deaths recorded in the following age groups: 60-69 - three; 70-79 - nine; and 80-89 - eight. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Wichita County now stands at 252.

Addressing the Wichita Falls City Council Tuesday morning, Wichita County Health Director Lou Kreidler said, “After see our worst week ever, we are beginning to see a decline in the numbers. And while I don’t want people to let their guard down, it certainly is good news for our community.”

Kreidler cautioned, “We need to remain vigilant as we know the Covid variant strain is more easily spread. It is in Texas and has been identified as close as the Dallas area.”

The variant strain Kreidler is referencing is the UK B117 variant mutated strain found in the United Kingdom recently that is more highly transmissible and appears to be more troublesome in children.

Iowa Park CISD

January 14, the Iowa Park Middle School was notified of a staff member testing positive for Covid. The next day, Bradford Elementary received notification of a student who had tested positive. Both were classified as low risk exposures.

In a letter sent home to students, IPCISD Superintendent Steve Moody wrote, “Students and staff have maintained compliance with mask wearing and social distancing guidelines. The CDC defines close contact as being directly exposed to infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on while not wearing a mask or face shield); or being within 6 feet for a cumulative duration of 15 minutes, while not wearing a mask or face shield.

Classrooms and high touch areas are sanitized regularly throughout the day. Additional disinfecting is being done at this time. We are working closely with the health department. Anyone known or considered to have been in close contact with the individual will be notified by the health department.

We advise you to continue to monitor health conditions of your child daily and to contact your child’s primary care physician if they develop symptoms. Students or staff displaying symptoms should stay home if symptoms are present and should follow the IPCISD Return to School Plan. We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate additional information as is necessary. Our students’ health and safety is a top priority and we appreciate you partnering with us to provide the best educational experience possible during these trying times. We ask for empathy for those affected.”

Last week

Each Friday the health district releases an overview of active cases in the county by zip code. Iowa Park last week had 260 active cases, which accounted for nine percent of the active cases in the county. We report that information each Friday after its release on the Iowa Park Leader FaceBook page. The same week tallied a total of 2,883 active cases, with a 14.10 percent positivity rate among those tested, a significant drop from the 21 percent reported last week.

Vaccinations

According to Wichita County Health District Director Lou Kreidler, the health district partnered with the North Texas State Hospital last Saturday for their first mass vaccination clinic, citing the event a huge success and providing a template for mass clinics in the future.

Kreidler said Tuesday that the health district is expecting to receive 1,950 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, and are planning another mass vaccination clinic. Those who have signed up on the Wichita County Health District’s list will receive a call when their turn comes. “I ask that the public be patient as we continue to work through our waiting list and know that we will get to you,” Kreidler said, adding that more than 7,000 names are currently on the district’s waiting list.

The Texas Department of Health Services website reported that 7,887 Wichita County resident have received the vaccine as of Tuesday evening. A total of 1,358,676 Texans have taken at least one dose. In the meanwhile, health officials urge everyone to continue wearing a mask, social distancing and frequent hand washing.

“I’m happy our numbers are down this week, and I hope we continue to see that trend,” Kreidler commented. “I don’t want people to get comfortable. I want us to continue to be vigilant and do all those things we’ve been doing for months. And when a vaccine is available, please get it.”

Thus far, a total of 76,201 Wichita County residents had been tested for COVID-19, with 13,409, more than 10 percent of Wichita County’s population, of those positive since March 18, 2020. Of those, 10,339 have recovered. The number of tests pending Tuesday evening was 486.

FREE TESTING CONTINUES

Due to the high percentage of cases locally, free drive-through testing is now being offered by WellHealth indefinitely in the parking lot of the MPEC Center in Wichita Falls. The hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The latest detailed information on hospitalizations released by the WFWC Public Health District include:

Total Hospitalizations = 106

Stable = 79

Critical = 27

0-5

No hospitalizations

6-10

No hospitalizations

11-19

Stable - 1

20 - 29

Stable - 1

Critical - 1

30 - 39

Stable - 2

Critical - 1

40 - 49

Stable - 8

Critical - 2

50 - 59

Stable - 9

Critical - 4

60 - 69

Stable - 10

Critical - 12

70 - 79

Stable - 24

Critical - 6

80+

Stable - 24

Critical - 1

Wichita County New Covid Cases by Month (First case reported here March 18)

March 38

April 27

May 19

June 279

July 539

August 422

September 548

October 2,194

November 3,054

Dec. 3,927

Jan. (Thru Jan. 19) 2,364

Total cases reported 13,409

“I am happy to see our numbers are down this week, and I hope we continue to see that trend.”

– Lou Kreidler, County Health Director