Judge Hidalgo and Mayor Turner call on residents to cancel vacation meetings as hospitalizations and positivity rate increase

HOUSTON – Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday urged residents to cancel vacation meetings as hospitalizations and COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the area. Houston.

Hidalgo said the county has faced several challenges over the past year during the coronavirus pandemic. He said ICU numbers have not stopped rising and that Texas Medical Center routinely crosses its base base.

“The current situation in which our medical center, the largest in the world, is routinely crossing its base capacity, means that procedures are being postponed, that health workers are at risk of burns, that we can’t stand a increased infections, beyond where we are right now, and that we live on the edge, a lot, ”said Hidalgo.

The judge urged residents to stay home and put plans on hold as Christmas and New Year’s Eve approach.

“Mayor Turner and I wanted to join forces today to convey the seriousness of the importance of canceling meetings for everyone. This year, show your love for others, don’t visit, wait until it’s safe until we’ve completely turned the corner and that’s when enough people will be vaccinated, ”he said.

Hidalgo said she and Turner have discussed the possibility of implementing a curfew, but said it would be a last resort.

“The mayor and I have discussed the possibility of imposing a curfew,” he said. “To be clear, we’re deciding not to do it right now because it’s a last-resort tool to use when disaster seems inevitable. Right now we can change things. That said, we don’t rule out a curfew on the future “.

Turner stressed the importance of Hidalgo’s message, saying the city’s positivity rate has risen to 12.3%.

“Let me say I agree with Judge Hidalgo 100%,” Turner said. “We’ve both been talking about where we are right now in Houston and Harris County. We have both been examining these numbers intensely for the past six weeks. The rate of positivity is increasing “.

As of Wednesday, the Houston Department of Health reported 634 new cases of COVID-19 and there were no new deaths.

Turner also called for testing, but said the test sites will close on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but will reopen on Saturday.

Turner also addressed a recent incident where a man is accused of assaulting a local waiter when asked to wear a mask. The mayor has been promoting the use of masks since the summer and said the incident is disturbing and will not be tolerated in the city of Houston.

“Let me say it’s unacceptable,” Turner said. “OK? This kind of behavior is unacceptable.”

He said he has spoken with Art Acevedo, Houston police chief, about the incident. He said police officers are aggressively looking for the suspect and expect to file charges against him.

“We want to find that individual,” Turner said. “We want to find him, arrest him and file charges. Frankly, I see it almost as an assassination attempt, but this kind of nonsense won’t, they won’t be accepted. This illegality of this type will not occur.

The mayor said those who do not want to comply with the mask order when they go to a commercial establishment should stay home.

Turner said the city will host an event on Thursday to hand out some 40,000 masks and provide 20,000 ready-to-eat meals. He said those who would like to participate in the socially distanced event should register on the website.

Dr. David Persse, chief physician in Houston, said it is important for residents to avoid meetings during the holiday season, as the spread of the virus can triple in the Houston area.

“It can triple in January, which is why it’s extremely important for us to avoid any kind of meetings during these holidays,” Persse said. “It simply came to our notice then that we could all be with our families. And I hope you agree with me as others have said today. It is very important for our health and for the health of the people that we like to make this a priority by limiting these meetings. “