White House report: Texas must do more to slow spread of COVID-19
HOUSTON - A White House Coronavirus Task Force report says Texas needs to do more to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Texas has been in the spotlight for several weeks now as cases of COVID-19 continue to surge.
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The state’s numbers are breaking records, and it is yet to be seen how the numbers will be affected by those who traveled or gathered in large groups during Thanksgiving.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force report says that COVID-19 patient hospitalizations in Texas are unsustainable, and ranked Texas 34th for cases per capita.
More than three-quarters of Texas counties are dealing with moderate or high levels of viral transmission.
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Hospitalizations are currently up 80 percent in the Houston area since October.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is cracking down on businesses that he considers super spreaders, by paying them a visit. The hope is to lower the positivity rate, so that a citywide curfew doesn’t go into effect for all businesses and residents.
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Medical officials throughout the state are saying they are overwhelmed with the amount of coronavirus patients coming in.
“I am going to run out of people long before I run out of equipment or space," said. Dr. Joseph Chang, Chief Medical Officer at Parker Hospital. “We are going to turn around and it's Christmas. We are going to do this all over again, then its New Year's. Talk about the parties at New Years. If we want to have a normal-ish January that means we got to have some serious action now in December.”
Medical experts say that fewer people are following recommendations to wear a mask, and stay six feet apart.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force advises that Texas should take more steps to test teachers, hospital staff, college students, and others they classify as silent spreaders.