diff --git a/packages/calcite-components/src/components/table-cell/table-cell.tsx b/packages/calcite-components/src/components/table-cell/table-cell.tsx
index 41e98f927b6..bf318e935c7 100644
--- a/packages/calcite-components/src/components/table-cell/table-cell.tsx
+++ b/packages/calcite-components/src/components/table-cell/table-cell.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,4 @@
-import {
-  Component,
-  Element,
-  Fragment,
-  h,
-  Host,
-  Method,
-  Prop,
-  State,
-  VNode,
-  Watch,
-} from "@stencil/core";
+import { Component, Element, h, Host, Method, Prop, State, VNode, Watch } from "@stencil/core";
 import { Alignment, Scale } from "../interfaces";
 import {
   componentFocusable,
@@ -254,18 +243,16 @@ export class TableCell
             // eslint-disable-next-line react/jsx-sort-props -- ref should be last so node attrs/props are in sync (see https://github.com/Esri/calcite-design-system/pull/6530)
             ref={(el) => (this.containerEl = el)}
           >
-            <span
-              aria-hidden={true}
-              aria-live={this.focused ? "polite" : "off"}
-              class={CSS.assistiveText}
-            >
-              {(this.selectionCell || this.readCellContentsToAT) && (
-                <Fragment>
-                  {this.selectionCell && this.selectionText}
-                  {this.readCellContentsToAT && !this.selectionCell && this.contentsText}
-                </Fragment>
-              )}
-            </span>
+            {(this.selectionCell || this.readCellContentsToAT) && (
+              <span
+                aria-hidden={true}
+                aria-live={this.focused ? "polite" : "off"}
+                class={CSS.assistiveText}
+              >
+                {this.selectionCell && this.selectionText}
+                {this.readCellContentsToAT && !this.selectionCell && this.contentsText}
+              </span>
+            )}
             <slot onSlotchange={this.updateScreenReaderContentsText} />
           </td>
         </InteractiveContainer>
diff --git a/packages/calcite-components/src/components/table-header/table-header.tsx b/packages/calcite-components/src/components/table-header/table-header.tsx
index 4de5738f4e5..055c67542ad 100644
--- a/packages/calcite-components/src/components/table-header/table-header.tsx
+++ b/packages/calcite-components/src/components/table-header/table-header.tsx
@@ -249,13 +249,15 @@ export class TableHeader implements LocalizedComponent, LoadableComponent, T9nCo
               scale={getIconScale(this.scale)}
             />
           )}
-          <span
-            aria-hidden={true}
-            aria-live={this.focused ? "polite" : "off"}
-            class={CSS.assistiveText}
-          >
-            {(this.selectionCell || this.numberCell) && this.screenReaderText}
-          </span>
+          {(this.selectionCell || this.numberCell) && (
+            <span
+              aria-hidden={true}
+              aria-live={this.focused ? "polite" : "off"}
+              class={CSS.assistiveText}
+            >
+              {this.screenReaderText}
+            </span>
+          )}
         </th>
       </Host>
     );