Health director: ‘Omicron is leaving’ Denton County

The Omicron wave of COVID-19 is on the decline in Denton County, according to the local health director.

Dr. Matt Richardson, director of Denton County Public Health, showed the drop in COVID-19 cases hospitalizations in the last couple weeks during his weekly presentation in the Denton County Commissioners Court meeting.

“Across the board, across age cohorts, Omicron is leaving the county, and it couldn’t be gone too soon,” Richardson said.

Omicron proved to be the most contagious COVID-19 variant, as the test positivity rate, number of active cases and hospitalizations spiked this winter. The decline began in mid-January, but “we still have a ways to go, but we’re confident that trend will continue,” he said.

There are still 56,377 active cases, according to Tuesday’s DCPH data. Before the Omicron wave, the peak of active cases in the county was 16,346 active cases on Oct. 1, 2021.

DCPH also announced Tuesday that two more residents have died as a result of COVID-19, including a Little Elm woman in her 70s and a Lewisville woman over 80. The countywide COVID-19 death toll is now 779.

“As we announce the death of two community members due to COVID-19, please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers,” said Denton County Judge Andy Eads. “We hope community members will get vaccinated, as vaccination remains the best way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death.”

DCPH only rules a resident’s death as a COVID-19 death if it is determined that the person died as a direct result of COVID-19. Actual dates of death can be released several days to several months after the date of death, due to various reporting agencies and medical records review.

To minimize spread of COVID-19, DCPH urges community members to:

• Get vaccinated and boosted when eligible
• Wear well-fitting masks in public indoor settings
• Test five days after exposure or if you have symptoms of COVID-19
• Isolate, quarantine, and wear a mask when recommended

Click here for more information about COVID-19 vaccines in Denton County. For additional COVID-19 data including active case information by municipality, hospital capacity, and ventilator utilization, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVIDstats.

For information regarding DCPH’s upcoming testing centers, visit dentoncounty.gov/COVID19testing.