Monday, January 10, 2022

GET TESTED GET VACCINATED Houston Health Dept sites thanks Janice Weaver, Office Mayor Sylvester Turner for sharing!

 Good evening,

 

The Houston Health Department is offering free Covid-19 testing at more than 30 sites and free Covid-19 testing at more than 20 sites this week. Details are on our weekly news release.

 

Testing Sites

A list of HHD-affiliated testing sites, including a Google map, is available on our testing site page: https://houstonemergency.org/covid-19-testing/.

 

Vaccination Sites

A list of HHD-affiliated vaccination sites, including a Google map, is available on our vaccination site page: https://houstonemergency.org/covid-19-vaccines/.

 

In-Home Vaccination and Testing

We offer free in-home vaccination and testing to qualifying older adults, veterans, and people with disabilities who live in Harris County. People may call 832-393-4301 for more information.

 

Positivity Rate

Houston's latest 14-day average Covid-19 positivity rate is 38%. That's the highest ever and up from 4.3% in early December. Please get vaccinated & boosted if eligible. Mask up in public and get tested if you have symptoms or gathered with people who don’t live in your home.

 

Updated Booster Guidance

CDC recently updated its guidance to shorten the interval window for a Moderna booster shot from six months to five months. This brings the Moderna booster interval into alignment with the recently updated Pfizer booster guidance.

  • People ages 12 and older can get a booster shot to reinvigorate protection that wanes over time.
    • People ages 18 and up who received Moderna should get a booster five months after the second shot.  
    • People ages 12 and up who received Pfizer should get a booster five months after the second shot.
    • People ages 18 and up who received Johnson & Johnson should get a booster two months after the single shot. 

 

Priority Messaging

Our priority messaging remains consistent with the past two weeks:

  • Omicron is extremely contagious and continues to fuel a surge in cases that will likely continue for weeks. 
  • The positivity rate and wastewater virus load are higher than ever indicating ongoing and uncontrolled community spread. 
  • While initial evidence shows Omicron may not cause illness more severe than Delta, we are concerned about our hospitals. 
  • A small percentage of very sick people out of a massive number of cases is still a big number. 
  • Keeping cases low helps ensure there is enough room in hospitals to take care of everyone who needs care for things like car accidents, broken bones, heart attacks, strokes, etc.  
  • The data are clear: Vaccination and boosters significantly reduce your chance of serious illness and death.
  • Omicron is causing more breakthrough infections, which can be discouraging… but it’s important to remember vaccinated and boosted people mostly experience mild to no symptoms. 
  • To protect against Omicron, it’s important to use all tools available including vaccination, boosters, masking, social distancing, and testing.  
  • People with symptoms of Covid-19 should get tested, regardless of vaccination status. 
  • It’s helpful to get tested if you recently participated in a gathering with people who do not live in your home.  
  • The Houston Health Department and its partners recently expanded free testing access with five new mega sites and dozens of smaller sites across the city to meet increased demand.
  • We also offer many free vaccination sites across Houston. 
  • You can find free testing and vaccination sites at houstonhealth.org or by calling 832-393-4220. 
  • Remember: Hospital stays can be very expensive. The vaccine is free.  

 

Thank you,

Scott

 

 

From: Packard, Scott - HHD
Sent: Wednesday, January 5, 2022 10:56 AM
Subject: RE: Houston Health Department: Covid-19 updates | Week of January 4, 2022

 

Good morning,

 

The Houston Health Department and Xpress Covid Testing will open two mega Covid-19 testing sites on Thursday, January 6, further expanding access to meet high demand. The health department and its partners will operate a total of five mega testing sites by Thursday, in addition to dozens of smaller sites across Houston. At full capacity, the health department’s network of affiliated sites will be able to test approximately 30,000 people each day.

 

Thank you,

Scott

 

 

From: Packard, Scott - HHD
Sent: Tuesday, January 4, 2022 8:20 PM
Subject: Houston Health Department: Covid-19 updates | Week of January 4, 2022

 

Good evening,

 

Here are Covid-19 updates from the Houston Health Department for the week of January 4, 2022.

 

Priority Messaging

Our messaging focus remains consistent with last week:

  • Omicron is extremely contagious and continues to fuel a surge in cases that will likely continue for weeks.
  • While initial evidence shows Omicron may not cause illness more severe than Delta, we are concerned about our hospitals.
  • A small percentage of very sick people out of a massive number of cases is still a big number.
  • Keeping cases low helps ensure there is enough room in hospitals to take care of everyone who needs care for things like car accidents, broken bones, heart attacks, strokes, etc. 
  • The data are clear: Vaccination and boosters significantly reduce your chance of serious illness and death.
  • Omicron is causing more breakthrough infections, which can be discouraging… but it’s important to remember vaccinated and boosted people mostly experience mild to no symptoms.
  • To protect against Omicron, it’s important to use all tools available including vaccination, boosters, masking, social distancing, and testing. 
  • People with symptoms of Covid-19 should get tested, regardless of vaccination status.
  • It’s helpful to get tested if you recently participated in a gathering with people who do not live in your home. 
  • Hospital stays can be very expensive. The vaccine is free. 

 

Testing Sites

Today, we announced the opening of our third mega Covid-19 testing site in Houston. This site, at Butler Stadium, is a partnership with United Memorial Medical Center and opens on January 5.

 

Our department, in partnership with Xpress Covid Testing, is finalizing plans to open another mega site at the former Dave & Buster’s at 6010 Richmond Ave later this week. Details will be announced when finalized.

 

Last week, we opened mega sites at Delmar Stadium and Minute Maid Park Lot C.

 

Each mega site offers approximately 1,000 daily tests.

 

We also offer free testing at four multi-service centers and a network of dozens of sites affiliated with Curative and United Memorial Medical Center.

 

People can find health department-affiliated testing site schedules and appointment information at HoustonHealth.org or by calling 832-393-4220.

 

Vaccination Sites

This week we’re offering free Covid-19 vaccination at more than two dozen fixed and pop-up sites across Houston. Our vaccination sites offer all doses of vaccine to all eligible individuals.  

 

Vaccination site schedules are available at HoustonHealth.org or by calling 832-393-4220.

 

In-Home Testing and Vaccination

We offer free in-home vaccination and testing to qualifying older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans. People may call 832-393-4301 to see if they qualify. 

 

Updates

Please follow @HoustonHealth on Facebook and Twitter and @HoustonHealthDepartmet on Instagram for frequent updates and educational content.

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