After the Deep East Texas Trauma Service Area saw a spike in the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients on Tuesday, the one-week requirement has started at Day 1 again for that region.
If the Deep East Texas TSA goes another six days straight with its hospitalization rate at 15 percent or more of its total capacity, some businesses will have to reduce their capacity to 50 percent again.
On Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported that the hospitalization rate for the Deep East Texas TSA is now at 17.8 percent. Yesterday, the TSA was still below the 15-percent threshold at 13.98 percent.
The most recent spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations ended the Deep East Texas TSA’s streak at four days below 15 percent.
Counties in the Deep East Texas Trauma Service Area include Angelina, Nacogdoches, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, and Tyler.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Sept. 17 that counties could reopen businesses to 75 percent capacity and allow the resumption of elective surgeries. Bars were also allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity. However, counties in Trauma Service Areas with over 15 percent COVID-19 hospitalizations for seven consecutive days would be excluded from that reopening.
For the Deep East Texas TSA to go back to 75 percent capacity, the rate needs to be below 15 percent for seven-straight days.
https://www.kltv.com/2020/12/22/deep-east-texas-tsa-resets-day-after-spike-covid-hospitalizations/