February 23, 2023

Things are looking up Tarrant County

It’s hard to believe, but we are already more than halfway through February 2023. We are seeing a downward trend in both COVID-19 and Flu cases. After the COVID-19 Community Level needle briefly (a few weeks) rose to HIGH this winter, we are now back at LOW. When looking back, this is even more astounding and a huge triumph for all of us when you look at the difference a year makes. In January 2022 we were seeing 2,027 COVID cases per 100,000 residents while this January that number dropped to only 93 cases per 100,000 residents. Certainly, the efforts of our public health staff and our community cannot go unnoticed. I am confident that these results reflect the work everyone has put into getting vaccinations out to as many folks in our community as possible and educating people on the prevention of COVID-19. 

The Flu season is not completely over but I am glad to share that Flu activity has already flatlined in our county and is currently just below baseline. But let’s not let our guard down since the flu season hasn’t ended yet. Remember, it’s not too late to get a flu shot this year, especially since it appears to be a good match against the strains circulating this season. The VaxMobile is back on our county’s streets with a limited quantity of flu shots in addition to COVID-19 shots free of cost at every stop. 

As we look ahead, there are so many things Public Health has planned to help Tarrant County residents live their healthiest life. Our different programs cover all areas of health and are excited to provide you with the best possible resources. Currently, our Chronic Disease Prevention program is just two weeks away from kicking off its free-of-cost ‘Health For Me’ virtual workshop on February 28^th at 6 p.m. Residents who join this self-management workshop to learn more about stress management, better sleep, symptom management, and healthy eating/exercise among other topics. It will run for six sessions. More information on the courses and pre-registration can be found on the Health For Me site. 

Please take care of yourself and allow us to help you on your journey. Follow our social media accounts if you don’t already for the latest Tarrant County Public Health updates including more events and resources available throughout the year. 

In Health,

Veerinder "Vinny" Taneja

Director, Tarrant County Public Health