From the City of Nacogdoches and Nacogdoches County Emergency Management -

Click for Spanish version
The Texas Dept. of State Health Services (DSHS) recently provided additional data regarding clusters of COVID-19 cases in Nacogdoches County. This information comes by the request of local officials who met with DSHS’s regional office weeks back concerning case numbers in Nacogdoches County. At that time, local officials expressed an ever-evolving need to continue to identify clusters of cases in the community. These numbers are a result of such discussions.

Information on exposure origin is obtained after the state completes a contact investigation--which begins simultaneously as cases are confirmed to local officials. Initial case reports do not always include exposure source. DSHS reports cases as quickly as possible while still doing their contact investigation to identify patient contact with others and estimate where the virus could have been contracted. Although exposure sources cannot always be pinpointed precisely, it is presumed the following breakdown of cases can be attributed to these locations in our community at time of publishing:

●  Long-term care facilities, excluding employees: 17%

●  Meat processing plant: 15%

●  Healthcare workers: 13%

DSHS recognizes these communities as official hotspots and is actively working with each location to educate staff and take further precautions to minimize spread.

Governor Abbott also announced in a phone call with county judges and city mayors on Monday that all long-term care facilities in the state will do testing on all patients and workers to identify positive cases and prevent further spread. Additionally DSHS, in partnership with state agencies, will likely conduct a second round of testing in our area, focusing on additional hotspots.

The Nacogdoches Coronavirus Call Center remains open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m at 936-468-4787. Callers will continue to be screened in the same manner as before, however, testing will be ordered by patients’ primary care physicians and offered at both hospitals and the East Texas Community Health clinic. Testing capacity will remain the same.

It is important to note that over thirty percent of confirmed local cases can be attributed to community spread, and the public should remain diligent in social distancing, hand washing, and mask wearing. DSHS anticipates a bump in numbers 10-15 days since Phase 1 to Open Texas began.