Harris County reaches COVID-19 threat level red, 'a severe and uncontrolled level of COVID-19'

Harris County is now back to its highest COVID-19 threat level, level 1 or level red, as the omicron continues to pick up steam and residents are urged to return to very cautious social behavior.

Level 1 indicates "a severe and uncontrolled level of COVID-19 in Harris County, meaning outbreaks are present and worsening, and public health capacity is strained or exceeded," Harris County Public Health currently says on its website.

The health department also has advice for the unvaccinated, as well as the vaccinated.

"At this level, unvaccinated residents should take action to minimize contact with others wherever possible and avoid leaving home except for the most essential needs like going to the grocery store for food and medicine," the health department says. "Unvaccinated individuals should continue to mask, physical distance and avoid all gatherings. Vaccinated individuals should follow the latest local public health guidance on whether to also wear a mask while indoors, in public spaces, in crowded outdoor settings and for activities with close contact with others who are not fully vaccinated."

Harris County reported its first death from the COVID-19 omicron variant less than a week before Christmas. That death was the first reported omicron fatality in the nation. In a Twitter post at the time, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo urged county residents to "get vaccinated and boosted."

On Monday, Jan. 10, Hidalgo announced during a news conference that the county's COVID-19 threat level has been raised to red, marking the third time since the beginning of the pandemic that the county has reached the highest threat level.

"I wish I were here to report better circumstances," Hidalgo said during the news conference. "Unfortunately, today we find ourselves yet again crossing a threshold we don't want to cross. Because of the omicron variant, over the past month we've seen the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 increase exponentially. In other words, we are in the midst of another COVID-19 tsunami. And this time, it truly is a tsunami when it comes to those cases. It's like nothing we've seen before in this pandemic."

Hidalgo referred to airlines cancelling flights and businesses that have closed early because their workers are sick. However, she said it was the recent sharp increase in hospitalizations that prompted the raised threat level. The 14-day average of COVID-positive intensive care unit cases was, on the day of her news conference, 18.1%, along with a positivity rate of 35%.

"Cases continue to climb," Hidalgo said.

Hidalgo's news conference was held at Spring Independent School District's Carolee Booker Elementary School. Hidalgo also talked about the county's efforts to provide ISDs COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, with about 120,000 of the tests distributed to the county's school districts.