harris county covid alert level today

Abbott said he would not bring back a mask mandate, Judge Lina Hidalgo pleaded with residents to wear one to get numbers down. Heres what you need to know. RELATED: The beginning of a fourth wave: Texas Medical Center discusses latest COVID-19 data trends, Delta variant impact. On Wednesday's show: Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo joins us to discuss issues facing the county and to take listener questions. The color-coded alert system was first introduced amid the peak of the pandemic last year. "The 14-day average for COVID-positive ICU cases is now 18.1%; the positivity rate is now 35%," Hidalgo said. "For the sake of our hospitals and for the sake of our workforce, we have to sound the alarm once again.". He can be reached on Twitter at @evanmac3 or via email at Evan.MacDonald@chron.com. The Harris County Auditor's confidential hotline and website allow employees, vendors, grant applicants and the general public to anonymously report instances of fraud, waste or abuse of the County's funds, resources and projects 24/7 in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Vietnamese. He enjoys trivia and movies and is a fan of all Boston sports teams, for which he apologizes in advance. Houston health experts weigh in amid COVID surge, Just two months ago, Hidalgo had lowered the threat level from "red" to "orange.". I wish I were here to report better circumstances, but unfortunately today we find ourselves yet again crossing a threshold we dont want to cross because of the omicron variant, Hidalgo said. The. To find out more information, locations and hours, click here. Selected for the magnitude of the issue and our ability to make progress in Harris County. On HoustonChronicle.com: Half of Texas adults have now had. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Back to tracker I-485 case: Pending for 27 days (624 days less than . Its okay to be a victim of this virus, but its not okay to be an enabler., Worried misinformation may keep eligible residents from seeking out the vaccine, Hidlago said unchecked Facebook posts should not drive public health decisions., Its natural to have questions. Hidalgo said. Please email chs-info@dshs.texas.gov for the most recent files if you do not find them below. 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At this level, county officials, urge unvaccinated residents to minimize contact with others, avoid any medium or large gatherings, and visit only permissible businesses that follow public health guidance. 2023 FOX Television Stations, ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING: Man shot in apparent accidental shooting in Houston, police investigating, CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Houston homeowner speaks out after being victim of terrifying attempted carjacking, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' Actor, Dies at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm, G.O.A.T. To help educate residents of Harris County on the status of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the area, a number of maps and dashboards are available for reference. Residents who are not vaccinated are cautioned to do so immediately. County Judge Lina Hidalgo shows her band-aid to Oscar Flores after receiving COVID-19 vaccine booster Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, at The Health Museum in Houston. He joined the Chronicle in 2022 after working at Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, where he covered health. She won the jackpot. More than 300,000 people in Harris County have already cast ballots in the first week of early voting. The HCPHDashboard has moved to the new Harris County / City of Houston COVID-19 Data Hub. Orange, or Level 2, signifies an uncontrolled level of COVID-19 in Harris County. Harris County / City of Houston COVID-19 Data Tracking COVID-19 data dashboards are updated weekly on Thursdays Public Health Recommendations COVID-19 Community Levels Information Data was acquired from SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC) for Harris County, including the City of Houston. Its okay to be hesitant at first but theres no shortage of credible information from health experts that show that the vaccines are safe, that the vaccines are effective, that we need to get the vaccines to get through this virus., During the briefing, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine where he is also the Co-director of the Texas Childrens Center for Vaccine Development, said the delta variant is far more transmissible than the original COVID-19 virus and warned Were looking undoubtedly at a serious surge across the South this summer., The big thing that worries me is by now anyone whos unvaccinated and has been lucky enough to escape COVID, your luck is about to run out, Hotez said. I dont like wearing masks either but until we get the numbers back down, lets all wear masks again.. EMBED <> More Videos HOUSTON Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced on Monday that she raised the countys COVID-19 threat level to red, the highest level. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo upgraded the COVID-19 alert system Thursday to "Level 1". Sure, were nearing the completion of the third year of this pandemic. Its like nothing weve seen before in this pandemic.. Regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask and get tested before attending holiday gatherings. The rodeo hopes to return for the first time since the pandemic started. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Storm Shield: Get severe weather alerts for your iOS . As far as vaccination rates, Hidalgo said a little over 50% of the county's population has been vaccinated against COVID, falling well behind President Biden's goal of 70% that he wanted met for the nation earlier this month. That will, he says, pave the way for the Delta variant to accelerate spread in this area. Level 1 indicates a severe and uncontrolled threat to COVID-19 and urges residents to stay home except for essential needs such as going to the grocery store to buy food or medicine, according to Harris County Public Health. But if we dont act now, it will be too late for many people.. Harris County's new COVID threat levels will focus on new cases, not hospitalizations, Timeline: How battle between Houston ISD, TEA has reached the point of a looming takeover. But its still important from an advocacy perspective to know whats likely to happen.. Theyre ending up in our hospitals. The threat level has increased due to a number of factors, including a rapid increase in new cases and positivity rate. Harris County's COVID-19Community Levels are separated into three categories which include low, medium and high. "That's not great, and particularly among [Black, indigenous and people of color] communities.". Does screen time hurt child development? Login Signup. Right now Harris County is still at 20-something percent that's fully vaccinated. Unfortunately, the Omicron variant has arrived in Harris County in full force, said Judge Hidalgo. The last time Harris County was at the orange level was in May 2021. RELATED: City of Houston preparing for two large events amid COVID pandemic, "Its still well over a month away, the start of the rodeo," said Hidalgo. There are multiple parking options available for those looking to attend the Houston Rodeo. Greg Abbott, local governments cannot enforce their own stay-at-home orders, as Abbott allowed them to do in the early stages of the pandemic. As for the region Texas is a part of, as of July 17, the variant comprises 84 percent of new coronavirus cases, Hidalgo noted. Over 1M Trackitt Users. The new system will allow the public to make their own decisions about the level of risk they are comfortable with taking, knowing that the chance of being hospitalized with a severe illness is relatively low if they have been vaccinated and boosted, Hidalgo said. The amount of virus detected at the city of Houstons wastewater treatment plants, which has been a reliable indicator of community spread, is also down from a spike during the BA.5 wave. Using thisdata, communities are classified as low, medium, or high. Ector County Independent School District trustees recently agreed to spend $3. For more information about testing, visit Testing Locations and Information. Trump goes Willy Wonka at CPAC: Gold-wrapped candy, Hershey responds to critics of trans woman in campaign, Biden Education chief: GOP using schools as a means, Cornyn to lead Senate delegation on border tour. HOUSTON During a media briefing Thursday, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced she was increasing the countys COVID-19 Threat Level Indicator from Level 3: Yellow, the systems second-lowest threat level, to Level 2: Orange, the systems second-highest threat level due to a rise in COVID-19 cases. Judge Lina Hidalgo made the announcement on Thursday. Main: (713) 439-6000 Harris County Public Health, Houston Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are trusted sources regarding all COVID-19 information. the Musical comes to Hobby Center, Houston on the tail end of a severe weather outbreak, Constable: Woman arrested after her kids found in, HPD: Family of 3 dead in possible murder-suicide, McConaughey, wife on flight with severe turbulence, Burger King brings back fan-favorite item, 13-year-old teen says she was stabbed at Texas City, Suspects in custody after police called to Bellaire, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Fraud Hotline Number is 866-556-8181 or click here for . The assessment . The Houston Health Department has opened a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) call center for Houston residents needing more information about coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Childrens Hospital, estimated true case levels could be seven to 10 times higher than what is being reported. Harris County once again raised its COVID-19 threat level to "Level 1: Red" Monday, the highest possible status signifying a "severe and uncontrolled level of COVID-19." The change comes as cases . The updated data deck provides a comprehensive snapshot of COVID-19 in Houston and features critical data points including the COVID-19 positivity rate and COVID-19 hospitalization data. Read more about the C.D.C.'s . HOUSTON Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Monday raised the county's COVID-19 threat back to its highest level -- level 1 or level red -- as omicron continues to run rampant. Hidalgo said 120,000 rapid antigen tests will be provided to school districts across the county. Under statewide orders from Texas Gov. on March 2. Using thisdata, communities are classified as low, medium, or high. Harris County did not see a spike in hospitalizations as COVID-19 cases surged this summer, she said. These are the four levels of the COVID-19 threat system for Harris County: Level 1 - Severe (red) Stay Home Level 2 - Significant (orange) Minimize All Contacts Level 3 - Moderate. Get 30 Day Historic Pollen Levels for Weatherford, TX (76087).