Texas status report...
...and our "baseline" before the holidays.
Texas has a rate of 37 daily new cases per 100,000. This is considered “uncontrollable spread” and ranks us 37th in the country.
Our case count is now higher than cases back in July. Our R(t)= 1.12, so cases will continue to increase at an exponential rate. R(t) has remained fairly steady for the past month (we want this to decrease). Houston cases have increased by 510% in the past week. But this isn’t close to the highest…Crockett cases have increased 1200%, Trinity 900% & Jeff Davis 800%.
Hospitalizations continue to exponentially increase. ICU’s are at 100% capacity in Abilene and Laredo. We are close to ICU capacity (5% beds left) in Amarillo, Waco, and College Station. General hospitalizations are high in Dallas/Fort Worth, with only 10% of overall capacity available. This means DFW hospitals have started opening surge units.
Testing is unacceptable (>40% test positivity rate) in 13 counties: Armstrong, Bailey, Briscoe, Collingsworth, Deaf Smith, Hall, Hockley, Hutchinson, Motley, Parmer, Reagan, Swisher, and Wheeler.
Interestingly mobility has not changed in the past month, despite the spike in cases. People are continuing to travel to non-essential businesses.
El Paso is continuing to do a great job bringing down their curve. With an R(t)=0.75, this will continue to decrease (as long as people keep behaviors up). We hopefully saw their peak.
When the first wave of vaccines are sent to Texas (maybe December?), DSHS has decided to give the following people first dibs (considered phase 1, tier A):
1. Hospital staff working directly with covid19 patients
2. Long-term care staff working directly with vulnerable residents.
3. EMS providers who engage in 9-1-1 emergency services
4. Home health care workers
Phase 1, Tier B will be:
1. Staff in outpatient care offices who interact with symptomatic patients.
2. Direct care staff in freestanding emergency medical care facilities and urgent care clinics
3. Community pharmacy staff
4. Public health and emergency response staff directly involved in administration of COVID testing and vaccinations
5. Last responders who provide mortuary or death services to decedents with COVID-19.
6. School nurses
Love, YLE
Data Source: Our dashboard at www.texaspandemic.orgMore on Texas vaccine allocation plans: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/.../COVID_Vaccine_Principles...