COVID-19 positivity rate in Houston at 'highest ever,' Mayor Turner confirms

How do researchers determine which COVID-19 variant is spreading?

In the Department of Pathology at Houston Methodist Hospital, their research group is skilled at sequencing different types of diseases including COVID-19.

HOUSTON - As the COVID-19 Omicron variant rages on, Mayor Sylvester Turner says it continues to be a threat especially to the city of Houston.

MORE: Houston pediatric hospitalizations surpass peak of Delta surge, as kids return to school

In a social media post on Sunday, the mayor said Houston's latest 14-day average is 38%, which he says is "the highest ever."

"It was just 4.3% in early December," he explained.

Omicron: What to do if you test positive for COVID-19

Dr. Melanie Mouzoon with Kelsey-Seybold Clinic talks about what to do if you test positive for COVID-19 and when to get tested.

The mayor encouraged the public to get vaccinated and boosted, if eligible. He also encouraged people to wear a mask in public and to get tested if they have symptoms or gathered with people they don't live with.

Three new mega testing sites opened in Houston last week. The health department said their network of affiliated sites, which included a total of five mega sites and several smaller sites, would be able to test approximately 30,000 people per day at full capacity.

MORE: Houston-area COVID-19 testing sites