Hospitalizations Reach Peak Levels: Montgomery County Officials

CONROE, TX — Montgomery County health officials say COVID-19 hospitalizations in the county are reaching near peak levels as the delta variant spreads across the United States.

In its triweekly update Friday, the Montgomery County Public Health District reported an increase of 619 active cases and 25 hospitalizations in the county since its Wednesday update. Since June 30, active cases have risen from 594 to 4,838, over an eightfold increase. Hospitalizations with COVID-19 are up to 263 with 53 of those in intensive care beds. Those numbers are just under the 264 hospitalized and 66 intensive care beds from earlier peaks in January.

"The vast majority of new cases and essentially all hospitalizations are in those who are unvaccinated," MCPHD said in a statement.

MCPHD also confirmed the deaths of two more people with COVID-19, a Spring man in his 70s and a Magnolia man in his 70s. Neither patient was vaccinated against COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 356 Montgomery County residents have died with COVID-19.

Health officials continue to encourage residents to get vaccinated to help protect themselves and others against the spread of the delta variant.

"Even if you contract COVID-19 after vaccination, the chances of severe illness, hospitalization and death are extremely low," MCPHD said in a statement.

According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, 48.9 percent of eligible Montgomery County residents age 12 and older are fully vaccinated. That lags behind both the state (53.3 percent) and national (58.5 percent) metrics.

Of the 4,838 active cases in the county, 26 are reinfections, which are categorized as two positive tests more than 90 days apart with no consecutive tests in between.

MCPHD added 780 new cases in its Friday update, bringing Montgomery County's total to 61,721 since the start of the pandemic. Of those 780 new cases, 50 are children under 12 years old.

How to get vaccinated

DSHS has set up a public vaccination website to help Texans register for a COVID-19 vaccine appointment close to them. To schedule an appointment, click here.

National pharmacies CVS and Walgreens also are distributing the vaccine across the country. To check availability in your area and register for a vaccine, click here for CVS and here for Walgreens.

For more information on vaccination locations throughout Texas, click here.