For the fifth consecutive day, Hendrick Health is reporting Trauma Service Area D hospitals, which includes Hendrick Medical Center-Brownwood, has lower than a 15 percent COVID hospitalization rate among its total capacity rate.

Restrictions – such as bar closures and reduced restaurant capacity – will be lifted if the area is below a 15% COVID hospital capacity for seven straight days, which would be Wednesday if the current trend continues.

On Monday, Hendrick Health reported 12.04% of the people hospitalized in Trauma Service Area D are hospitalized for COVID-19, including just nine people at Hendrick Medical Center-Brownwood. Trauma Service Area D includes Brown, Callahan, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Fisher, Haskell, Jones, Knox, Mitchell, Nolan, Shackleford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor and Throckmorton counties.

On Dec. 8, 2020, the Brownwood/Brown County Health Department was notified by the State that Trauma Service Area D had exceeded the threshold of seven consecutive days of over 15% COVID hospitalizations.

According to GA-32, all businesses that were operating at a 75% occupancy were required to be at 50%. Bars are subject to Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) permit restrictions. There were no changes to restrictions on Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, religious services, child care services, and schools.