'My hope is that we are at a permanent turning point of this pandemic': Hidalgo lowers COVID-19 threat level to yellow

Citing decreases in hospitalization rates and COVID-19 cases, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo lowered the county's COVID-19 threat level to yellow Thursday. 

The level, marked "moderate" or "stay vigilant" on the system, means vaccinated residents aren't required to wear masks unless required to do so, while those who haven't received their inoculations must wear a mask and get their vaccines as soon as possible, according to Harris County Public Health.

As she had done with each lowering of the level, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo expressed cautious optimism.

"My hope is that we are at a permanent turning point of this pandemic," Hidalgo said in a statement issued to the media. "But we've yet to have a wave where our hospitals don't get overwhelmed, so we need to tread with caution before we declare victory over this virus."

Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that it was the second time in two weeks Hidalgo has downgraded the COVID-19 threat level.

Late last month, she lowered the level from red to orange just as the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) was about to return as an in-person event after two years.

HLSR is about to enter its penultimate weekend.

The event runs through March 20.

The system was raised to red in January when the omicron variant was close to peaking.

Several factors, including the two-week trend of new cases and COVID-19 hospitalizations, go into the lowering or the raising of the level.

According to the Houston Chronicle, both have been on a downward trend since earlier this year.

The county has been placed under all four colors as of March 9, the publication reported.