TMC Report and UPDATE | April 23, 2020, 5:45 p.m.: Mayor Sylvester Turner announced today during an afternoon press conference that the Houston Health Department reported 71 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the city’s total to 2,346. There were no deaths today, marking the fourth consecutive day that Houston has reported no fatalities from COVID-19.
Houston METRO Board Chair Carrin Patman shared how the Houston METRO is working to protect its employees and riders during the pandemic. Ridership has dipped in all sectors but less for the TMC and its park and rides. The transit authority has implemented social distancing practices on buses, suspended fares, initiated temperature checks when employees arrive to work and will be supplying masks to riders as available.
Turner stressed the importance of wearing masks to comply with the new order from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, effective Monday, April 27. Joining the press conference virtually to add their support to the Mask Up Houston campaign (#MaskUpHOU) were Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles, Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa and local rapper Slim Thug.
“If you do have to leave the house, I would strongly suggest that you mask up and glove up and just sanitize on the regular,” said Slim Thug, who has made a full recovery from COVID-19.
Turner emphasized that his goal was to provide masks rather than simply enforce the order, saying the city should not have a mandate without providing adequate resources.
“Masks over citations,” Turner said. “We don’t give citations. We give masks or face coverings.”
To support the city’s most vulnerable communities, Turner announced a new Health Equity Response task force that will focus on bringing more information and more supplies to those most at risk and disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Strategies include a public health education campaign to encourage residents in the highest risk neighborhoods to take additional precautions to protect themselves and others; direct community support to distribute essential supplies to Houstonians, including masks; and a Houston health equity response fund to accept donations that will provide resources to those who need them most.
“Here in Houston, as in many other parts of our nation, the pandemic is magnifying the pre-existing health disparities and socioeconomic challenges facing our most vulnerable communities,” said Shannon Buggs, Complete Communities director at the mayor’s office and a member of the new task force. “Before COVID-19, we already knew that 39 percent of Houstonian households didn’t have $400 for an emergency. Now, despite stay-at-home orders, only 1 out of every 5 black workers and 1 out of every 6 Latino workers in the United States actually can work from home, compared with 30 percent of white workers and 37 percent of Asian workers. … Mayor Turner appointed the Health Equity Response task force to keep the focus on the most acute and critical needs.”
Turner also announced an initiative for members of local faith communities to help make more than 1 million masks.
“We are committed to not leaving anyone behind,” Turner said. “The City of Houston is the most diverse city in the country, and in order to make sure that we touch the needs, it is important that this team be as diverse as possible. And we are committed to doing just that. …We want to make sure that we are touching, and working very closely, with all of our communities, especially those who are at risk and are most vulnerable.”
Earlier today, Harris County Public Health (HCPH) announced its revamped COVID-19 online self-assessment tool to improve the testing process with advanced scheduling options. Testing is free and open to the public, regardless of citizenship status, but all individuals must register first and obtain a unique identification code. More information about the assessment can be found at www.readyharris.org or www.hcphtx.org or by calling 832-927-7575.
Additionally, the Texas Policy Lab (TPL) in Rice University’s School of Social Sciences has joined Hidalgo’s office in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. TPL is drawing upon their expertise to provide the county with relevant data, including evaluation of the effectiveness of the county’s Stay Home, Work Safe order. — Alexandra Becker
UPDATE | April 22, 2020, 6 p.m.: Harris County will require face coverings in public beginning Monday, County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced in a joint news conference.
The order applies to people 10 and older for 30 days beginning April 27 with exceptions for people with health conditions, those exercising alone or while driving and eating. Residents have been given several days to acquire or make a face covering, which doesn’t have to be medical grade, but must be a mask or other item that protects the nose and mouth. Order violators apprehended at the discretion of law enforcement agencies could face a $1,000 fine or up to 180 days in jail.
“Face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing,” Hidalgo said. “We are still under a stay home, work safe order. We should not be out unless absolutely necessary. And if we do this, we will get that curve down to where it needs to be to where we can actually begin reopening things and do so in a way that is sustainable.”
Turner noted that the city’s COVID-19 deaths remained at 34 for the third consecutive day. He also mentioned reports from the Texas Medical Center that show COVID-19 discharges outnumber current hospitalizations for TMC-affiliated institutions.
“A face covering will help slow the spread of this coronavirus and can save lives,” the mayor said. “Wearing a face covering protects other people from you because you do not know if you are a carrier and can transmit the virus. You can be asymptomatic.”
Davis Persse, M.D., the city’s public health authority, pressed the importance of face coverings given the predominance of “asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic or minimally symptomatic spread” and how measures taken so far have staved off the virus, which is circulating in the community, from devastating the area with illness, hospitalizations and deaths.
