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City of Houston COVID-19 deaths reach record levels
The City of Houston reached a new milestone on Wednesday with 16 deaths in the City of Houston.
HOUSTON - For the first time, Houston is reporting double digit deaths in a single day. The new record now stands at 16 deaths related to COVID-19 in one day, bringing the total up to 295.
With 16 deaths reported Wednesday, the city of Houston has reached a new, grim milestone. For the first time since the pandemic began, the Houston Health Department is reporting double-digit deaths in a single day so far. The previous record was nearly half that number at nine deaths.
"I am asking people to exercise their own personal responsibility. Don’t wait for the government to do more. Don’t wait for the government to shut you down," said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
However, despite the new record, Houston’s death rate stands significantly lower at 0.9%, compared to a 4% death rate nationally.
Houston Health Authority Dr. David Persse worries that could change with the current trajectory of surging cases.
"We never even had the first wave because Houstonians did such a good job of stopping and slowing down the virus. That’s why our death rate is so different. With that said, if we don’t do as we’re supposed to, our death rate does run the risk of going up," Persse said.
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City leaders, like Mayor Turner and Judge Hidalgo, have been vocal about their calls for a two-week shutdown to “reset” before the start of the new school year begins. With Governor Abbott’s office insisting that no second shut down is currently in the works, authorities are stressing yet again for Houstonians to mask up.
Health officials cited a new CDC study where a salon with stringent mask rules may have saved dozens of people from contracting the virus.
"There was a hair salon and there were two hairstylists at this hair salon that were both infected and had symptoms but did not yet know they were infected with COVID. So, they continued to work. During that period, they worked with 139 clients and zero, none of them became infected. It's almost certainly because every single one of them wore a mask," Persse said.
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Turner also announced two new testing sites that will be available starting Thursday:
- Fallbrook Church in northeast Houston
- Higher Dimension Church in southwest Houston are where the new testing locations
To set up an appointment, start by calling 1-833-697-4839.