The new system places a greater emphasis on new cases than the old one, but it still considers the number of people who are being hospitalized or admitted to an ICU with COVID-19, Hidalgo said. And this time, it truly is a tsunami when it comes to those cases. MORE HEALTH NEWS: Houston doctors say flu season could be early and more severe, so get a flu shot now. Houston healthcare providers can continue to call 832-393-5080, 6550 Bertner Avenue, Executive Offices Actualizaciones de coronavirus (COVID-19) en espaol. Then it dropped again to yellow, telling people to stay vigilant unless fully vaccinated. 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. TMC hospitals also reported a COVID testing positivity rate of 8.7 percent, down from 11.8 percent last month. The call center is available Monday- Friday 7AM to 6PM: 1-877-570-9779. Harris County Public Health 2021 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. Orange, or Level 2, signifies an uncontrolled level of COVID-19 in Harris County. The availability of the COVID-19 vaccines and updated boosters that offer better protection against omicron and its BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants have also helped Harris County reach a stage where it could revamp its assessment system, Hidalgo said. "It's like nothing we've seen before in this pandemic. Staff writer Andrew Dansby contributed to this report. I know theyre uncomfortable, Hidalgo said. If you're planning on using the METRO to helo you get to and from the Houston Rodeo, here's everything you need to plan out your ride! The new alert signifies Harris County still faces a considerable threat in regards to coronavirus and Covid-19 remains widespread. 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. In late February and much of March, the highly anticipated Houston Rodeo is scheduled to take place. on March 2. 2223 West Loop South, Houston, TX 77027Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM 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. The change was made due to a decoupling of the relationship between new cases and new hospitalizations during the most recent wave of COVID-19 fueled by the BA.5 subvariant of omicron, Judge Lina Hildalgo said during a news conference Thursday. The site will continue to offer other pertinent information, such as wastewater monitoring data and the percentage of county residents who have been vaccinated and boosted. Were now seeing two Harris Counties, " Hidalgo said during the briefing, One Harris County thats fully vaccinated, protected, doing its part to get our economy running and doing its part to protect those who cannot get vaccinated. Sheriff: 4 arrested, 3 vehicles seized after parking lot takeover near Missouri City, Houston forecast: Get ready for a picture perfect weekend, Damage reported throughout North Texas area during severe weather, Abbott allowed them to do in the early stages of the pandemic, latest executive order related to the COVID-19 response, Yes, you can test positive for COVID-19 on PCR tests for up to 12 weeks after infection, Why doctors say omicron variant is a cause for concern for kids, Empty pharmacy shelves, rising prices frustrating Houstonians. From: Department of Health and Social Care. Thats going to allow the community to make their own decisions, based on the caseload, about how willing they are to expose themselves to the virus," Hidalgo said of the redesign. 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. HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo raised on Thursday the county's COVID-19 threat level from yellow "moderate" to orange "significant" in the midst of spiking cases during a "fourth wave" of the pandemic. If you'd like to sign up now, fill out the form below and we will add you as soon as we finish the transition. Harris County has revamped its method for assessing the publics risk for contracting COVID-19, replacing the threat level system that has been in place since early in the pandemic with a community level system that places a greater emphasis on new cases. For a complete list of levelsand more detailed descriptions of each level, visit our HCPH COVID-19 Dashboard. For a complete list of indicators, guidance, and related information visit ReadyHarris.org. Throughout the last couple of weeks, long lines have been noticeable across Houston for COVID-19 tests. The Texas Department of State Health Services has a dedicated call center to answer your questions/concerns. Meteorologist Lena Maria gives us a look at what we can expect as we gear up for the opening weekend of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo! RELATED: Harris County COVID-19 threat level now highest category 'red'; more tests for school districts. The meeting was to officially raise the county's COVID-19 threat limit, as well as approve the purchase of up to 65,000 rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits that cost over $1.8 million and a . Residents who are not vaccinated are cautioned to do so immediately. Login Signup. Hidalgo also talked about the health budget for the county. While Gov. The county judge cited a rising number. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. But we can still blunt the force of this latest wave if we take action. For more information and updates, refer to the COVID-19 community-levelresources on the COVID-19 Data Hub. THACKER, W.Va. (AP) A coal miner has died in an incident in a southern West Virginia mine, Gov. He's also worked for news organizations in New York and Massachusetts. I dont like wearing masks either but until we get the numbers back down, lets all wear masks again.. Hidalgo also said everybody should resume wearing masks to protect those that arent vaccinated. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "We're at red unfortunately because of a lack of action among those who are refusing to get vaccinated. "As the surge continues, we continue to monitor our beds and adjust each day, hospital by hospital.". The new system uses a trio of color-coded community levels that indicate the risk for contracting COVID-19. If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745. Read more about the C.D.C.'s . 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. County Judge Lina Hidalgo urges the public to receive COVID-19 vaccine booster during a press conference Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, at The Health Museum in Houston. She won the jackpot. They're ending up in our hospitals." Published. Currently, around 2.1 million Harris County residents, 44.1 percent of Harris Countys total population, are fully vaccinated, according to the countys COVID-19 data hub. Harris County moved to "Red Alert" COVID-19 threat level. The threat level has increased due to a number of factors, including a rapid increase in new cases and positivity rate. Greg Abbott insisted that he would not bring back a mask mandate. 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 number of patients is causing some stress to our organization, but we are managing all our COVID and non-COVID patients," said Gale Smith, a PR Manager from Houston Methodist. The six-day average of vaccinations was 70.33 . Thats how transmissible this virus is., RELATED: Houston Methodist sees alarming spike in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations; identifies its first case of Lambda variant. For partially vaccinated, it's around 30 percent. To put it bluntly, and in very stark terms, essentially anyone whos hospitalized for COVID right now, pediatric hospitalizations aside, this is adult hospitalizations, anyone whos hospitalized or is in an ICU from COVID right now is there by choice, is there because they didnt make the effort to get vaccinated and thats what we need to fix Hotez said. Harris County is currently yellow, but Hidalgo anticipated the community level could rise to orange with the risk for transmission increasing with children back in school. According to Texas Tribune, Texas has seen nearly 9,000 COVID-19 deaths since February. Using thisdata, communities are classified as low, medium, or high. All Rights Reserved. Remember to follow reliable sources regarding COVID-19 in Houston. To find out more information, locations and hours, click here. SEE MORE: Just a reminder: Here's who can and can't make you wear masks. In addition, Harris County Public Health will partner with Spring ISD to open a testing site at Planet Ford Stadium in Spring on Tuesday. Main: (713) 439-6000 COVID Q&A: Peter Hotez discusses new winter variants, his book and a halal vaccine. 3, 2023 at 1:16 PM PST | Updated: 39 minutes ago. Baylor, Rice will study. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Back to tracker I-485 case: Pending for 27 days (624 days less than . "Right now, we see an increase in patients at doctors offices and at hospitals," said Porfirio Villarreal, a spokesperson from the Houston Health Department. 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"Well see if the cases, especially the hospitalizations are trending down.". "Were turning a page on a phase of this virus, and Im very hopeful that we wont have to go back to a time when surge hampered the entirety of the community," Hidalgo said. Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. According to Hidalgo, the positivity rate has doubled every two to three weeks in the county, making it faster than the previous wave of cases that began last December. Our partners at the Texas Tribune contributed to this report. There are multiple parking options available for those looking to attend the Houston Rodeo. And as of Wednesday, 599 people in Harris County general hospital beds were infected with the virus up from 358 at. EMBED <> More Videos The COVID-19 vaccine and booster continues to be available at no charge for all Harris County residents. Unfortunately, the Omicron variant has arrived in Harris County in full force, said Judge Hidalgo. 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. Its like nothing weve seen before in this pandemic.. SONGS: Singer, songwriter makes new song inspired by FOX 26 news report about goats at Target, Man charged in shooting death of Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso ordered held without bond, Mother arrested after 4-year-old found outside alone, 1-year-old found laying in soiled linen, 6-YEAR-OLD SHOT IN HARRIS COUNTY: Suspect in custody after apparent fight between middle school girls after class, 1 dead after 3-vehicle crash at Montgomery County intersection, 23-year-old charged with father's murder in League City. It would be "inappropriate to require people who already have immunity to wear a mask," Abbott said.