TARRANT COUNTY, TX
Public Health
September 17, 2020
Some good news and some caution
The good news is that West Nile Virus-positive mosquito pools have recently dropped significantly. We were previously concerned with the rising numbers of positives we were finding, which was why we were considering aerial spraying. But that's not the case right now --unless positive pools start coming back strong. If weather conditions, like the amount of rain and the temperatures work in our favor, we may well be past the peak of the mosquito season. Of course, we won't know that until late October.
In the meantime we'll still advise ground spraying for areas with repeated positive pools and continue encouraging residents to keep their properties as free of standing water as much as possible.
For the cautionary news, we're seeing COVID-19 trends slowing in Texas and in Tarrant County. The slowdown has given us and our partners at DSHS the chance to clean up our data and refine data collection efforts. COVID-19 testing in Tarrant County has improved, our contact tracing efforts are helping, and a lot of people in the county are being socially responsible, wearing masks and maintaining social distancing --all of which is helping slow the spread of the virus. Though our efforts are working, we need to continue and exercise caution. This is not the time to let our guard down. Trouble could be just around the corner!
With the start of school and the recent Labor Day holiday, we're expecting a bump in case counts. If the bump is not as significant as it was after Memorial Day and around the 4th of July, it may mean we'll see the overall decline of COVID-19 cases locally. In the meantime, we've got to keep up our prevention efforts. That means continuing to wear masks and keep a social distance of at least six feet when you're out and about; avoid large gatherings where possible and follow any guidance officials release.
One of the most important things is if you get a text or call from one of our contact tracers, please work with them. “Answer the call”, and do your part to bend the curve of COVID-19. We've got more testing sites available and some new systems in place that can help individuals who test positive for COVID-19 better manage their condition.
I'm very optimistic that we'll get through this sooner than we may think.
Regards,
Veerinder "Vinny" Taneja
Director, Tarrant County Public Health