HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner today signed a proclamation declaring a Local State of Disaster Due to a Public Health Emergency to help contain and mitigate COVID-19 from spreading. As a result of the emergency order, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo will wind down immediately and city-sponsored, produced and permitted events will be postponed or cancelled through the end of March. This action affects the Tour de Houston, CIP meetings and other events.
The action follows the identification of a positive COVID-19 case in a Montgomery County resident with no reported out-of-state travel and no identified contact with another person with COVID-19. It is an indication of community spread. Community spread occurs when a person contracts an illness from an unknown source.
Health officials believe the Montgomery County man who tested positive also attended the World's Championship Bar-B-Que Contest.
Mayor Turner and Houston-area health authorities determined immediate action was needed to protect the public’s health.
There are currently two positive cases of COVID-19 in the city of Houston.
“I have taken this step to contain and mitigate the virus. To this point, the cases in Houston, Harris County and Fort Bend County have all been linked to international travel,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “As we have indicated since we first starting monitoring COVID-19, we would act quickly and accordingly based on new information. The information about the possibility of community spread in the Houston-area is a gamechanger. We made a tough call, but it was the right call to protect the people of our city.”
The Houston Health Department announced today new recommendations to Houstonians aimed at reducing their risk of exposure to COVID-19. • People at higher risk of severe illness should stay home and away from large groups of people as much as possible, including public places with lots of people and large gatherings where there will be close contact with others. People at higher risk include: o People 60 and older o People with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes o People who have weakened immune systems o People who are pregnant
• Workplaces should enact measures that allow people who can work from home to do so. Taking these measures can help reduce the number of workers who come into contact with the COVID-19 virus and help minimize absenteeism due to illness • If you can feasibly avoid bringing large groups of people together, consider postponing events and gatherings. • The Houston Health Department is not currently recommending closing schools. If a case of COVID-19 is diagnosed at a school, the health department will work with the school and the district to determine the best measures including potential closure of the school. • People who are sick need to stay home to prevent infecting others. • Avoid visiting hospitals, long term care facilities, or nursing homes to the extent possible. If you need to go, limit your time there and keep six feet away from patients. People with symptoms like cough, fever, or other respiratory problems, must call a healthcare provider. People with symptoms should not go to the emergency room unless it’s a life-threatening emergency. Healthcare professionals will determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
Guidance for workplaces and businesses
Employers should take steps to make it more feasible for their employees to work in ways that minimize close contact with large numbers of people.
Employers should: • Maximize telecommuting options for as many employees as possible. • Urge employees to stay home when they are sick and maximize flexibility in sick leave benefits. • Consider staggering start and end times to reduce large numbers of people coming together at the same time
“The possibility of community spread of COVID-19 in the Houston area is a significant escalation of the situation and requires all of us to be more vigilant to help reduce our risk of exposure,” said Dr. David Persse, local health authority for the Houston Health Department. “We know our new recommendations will have a major impact on the lives of Houstonians, but we are making them in order to best protect our community.”
Most people with COVID-19 will feel like they have a bad cold or the flu. Some people will require hospitalization. People who are at most risk for severe illness are elderly or have other health conditions.
While COVID-19 is a new respiratory virus, daily precautions recommended to prevent respiratory illnesses are the same:
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer when you can't wash your hands. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. • Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw the tissue away. If you don’t have a tissue, use the elbow of your sleeve. Don’t use your hands to cover coughs and sneezes.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. • Stay home when you are sick and keep children home when they are sick. • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. • Get a flu shot. (Although the flu shot does not protect against COVID-19, it is flu season.)
Event and community gathering considerations
If you can feasibly avoid bringing large groups of people together, consider postponing events and gatherings.
If you can’t avoid bringing groups of people together: • Urge anyone who is sick to not attend. • Encourage those who are at higher risk for coronavirus to not attend. • Ensure an adequate supply of hand soap and disinfectants. • Consider providing hand sanitizing stations. • Boost the frequency of cleaning and restocking of soap and paper towels in restrooms • Increase the frequency of sanitizing common touchpoints Try to find ways to give people more physical space so that they aren’t in close contact as much as possible. • Encourage attendees to maintain good healthy habits, such as frequent hand washing.
“We’re basing the decision on the science, advice from medical experts and the facts presented. Let’s bear in mind, this is a new phenomenon. We are in new territory. Everyone is making the best judgments around the globe to keep people safe, while at the same time realizing the people still must work and take care of their families,” said the mayor.
Houstonians should visit HoustonEmergency.org for updated information about local risk, routine protective actions, frequently asked questions, communication resources, rumor control, emergency preparedness tips and more.
To stay updated on COVID19, please use the link below or contact the COVID-19 Call Center:
https://houstonemergency.org/covid19
COVID-19 Call Center
M-F: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sat: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
In the interest of public health, the City of Houston and the Houston Health Department have ordered the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ to close. The grounds will close at 4 p.m. The Rodeo will respectfully and dutifully comply with the City's order.
The Rodeo is deeply saddened; however, the safety and well-being of our guests and our community is our top priority. Out of precaution, the City has decided that this is the best course of action for our community.
A ticket refund process is still in the works and will be communicated once it is finalized.
For more information regarding this announcement, visit:
rodeohouston.com/2020
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