Coronavirus Texas: Houston braces for more travel and vacation gatherings



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HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – With Thanksgiving weekend over, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and other city leaders are reminding residents that the risk of COVID-19 is not over.

The city’s COVID-19 positivity rate is currently 8.4%, down slightly from 8.8% last week, Turner said in a briefing Monday afternoon. The city reported 685 new cases, bringing the total to 97,703. And no new deaths were reported, with the total still standing at 1,436.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if a rise [in the number of COVID-19 cases] after Thanksgiving, ”he says.

The mayor announced that his staff, the Houston Police Department and the Houston Fire Department will enforce COVID-19 business regulations set by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

“My staff are trying to work my schedule and get me out and about to let me take a look at what’s going on,” Turner said. “If by any chance you see me come in, it’s not to socialize with you. If I don’t see anything other than a community broadcast event, the last resort is that we will shut down the businesses. Please consider yourself warned. . “

Chief Samuel Pena added that his firefighters had responded to around 20,000 occupancy complaints since mid-March.

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“That’s around 90 to 100 complaints a day,” he said. “The majority are treated on site. The managers have been receptive. At the end of the day, we want to help businesses keep the lights on, but we need their help to make sure they’re following what the governor ordered.

“We’re trying to strike a balance between public health and open business,” Turner said.

He also echoed advice from many health experts across the country for anyone who has traveled over the weekend or has been visited by people who don’t live with them.

Experts say that if you were in a high exposure situation, it is recommended that you get tested about four to eight days after exposure. According to Harvard Health, if you are tested right after an infection, you might get a false negative because there aren’t enough virus particles in your nose or saliva. So if you celebrated over Thanksgiving, a good time to get tested would be between Tuesday, December 1, and Friday, December 4. They also recommend that you quarantine yourself while you wait for your test in case you have COVID-19.

SEE ALSO: Why You Should Get Tested For COVID-19 After Thanksgiving

You can find a free COVID-19 test site near you in Houston or Harris County.

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