Wednesday marked the seventh consecutive day in which Trauma Service Area D hospitals, which includes Hendrick Medical Center-Brownwood, had lower than a 15 percent COVID hospitalization rate among its total capacity rate.

Therefore, Texas Health and Human Service on Wednesday lifted stricter COVID restrictions that had been in place since Dec. 8.

According to Texas Health and Human Services, any Trauma Service Area (TSA) that has had seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity exceeds 15 percent, until such time as the Trauma Service Area has seven consecutive days in which the number of COVID-19 hospitalized patients as a percentage of total hospital capacity is 15 percent or less.

Under the criteria laid out, TSA D no longer meets the definition of a high hospitalization area and so may reopen to the higher levels allowable under GA-32. Additionally, all licensed hospitals in the TSA may resume elective surgeries as set forth in Executive Order GA-32. The Health and Human Services Commission, the agency responsible for regulating hospitals in Texas, is separately providing notice directly to affected hospitals notifying them of the ability to resume elective surgeries located in TSA D. TSA D includes the following counties:

TSA D includes Brown, Eastland, Knox, Stephens, Callahan, Fisher, Mitchell, Stonewall, Coleman, Haskell, Nolan, Taylor, Comanche, Jones, Shackelford, and Throckmorton counties.

Brown County Judge Paul Lilly issued the following statement following Wednesday’s news:

“We are thrilled to see that our hospitalizations have dropped below the 15% threshold. We urge everyone to keep using all of the COVID 19 precautions including wearing a mask.

I understand that these masks are an annoyance to have to wear, but they really do work at keeping the infection rates down. I just want to personally thank all of the people who are abiding by the COVID 19 precautions you are insuring the safety and livelihoods of people in our County.

“I and the Brownwood/Brown County Health Dept. continue to do everything possible to get as many vaccines to Brown County as humanly possible under the national and state circumstances. I speak weekly with the Governor’s Office, U.S. Congressman August Pfluger, and even Texas State Chief of Emergency Management Nim Kidd weekly for updates on vaccine availability for our area.  This week alone we were allocated 600 doses and they have all been administered to citizens of Brown County today during the vaccine drive thru at Gordon Wood Stadium. Next week we are hoping to receive another 600 if not more doses, but we will accept anything they can provide. Please keep faith. We are turning the corner on this as fast as we can. Please continue to be cautious and safe.

“Again I thank everyone for your patience and we hope to continue to see COVID 19 rate drop in our area as we are able to vaccinate more and more people, but we have to work together to insure we are successful in this difficult time.”