Fort Bend County raising COVID-19 Community Impact Level to 'high'
An illustration of what a coronavirus looks like. (CDC illustration) (Photo Courtesy: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas - Officials in Fort Bend County have announced they are raising their COVID-19 Community Impact Level to ‘high.'
According to a release, the Fort Bend County Department of Health and Human Services raised the alert due to the number of COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations across the Houston region.
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"Get vaccinated and stay up-to-date on recommended booster shots to protect yourself, your family, and friends," stated Fort Bend County Judge KP George in a release. "As always I believe in being transparent and informing our residents about any changes to our levels while encouraging them to continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines and recommendations."
Fort Bend County Health and Human Services is continuing to monitor the rising COVID-19 case totals, officials said.
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Over the past week, officials said local data for the week ending July 11 showed an average of 230 active cases per 100,000 residents. A key determining metric for at-risk community levels, the current number exceeds the 200 cases per 100,000 threshold that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released within their guidance.
Additionally, according to the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council’s Dashboard (SETRAC), Fort Bend County had an average of 12 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per day over the past seven days, and this exceeds the less than 10 threshold. Approximately six percent of staff inpatient hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients.
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George stated that vaccination is the most effective tool to fight the virus. To schedule an appointment to get tested, call (281) 633-7795. You can also click here to view the Fort Bend County COVID-19 testing and vaccination locations.
If you have additional questions, you can contact the vaccination hotline at (832) 471-1373.