FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas — Fort Bend County is raising sounding the alarm on the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
On Tuesday, the county raised its "Community Impact Level" to "High," citing COVID cases surpassing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) case threshold and the increased impact on local hospitals. Fort Bend County officials are urging its residents to vigilant and up-to-date on their vaccine and boosters.
“As always I believe in being transparent and informing our residents about any changes to our levels while encouraging them to continue to follow the CDC’s guidelines and recommendations," said Fort Bend County Judge KP George.
Over the past week, data collected from Fort Bend County Health and Human Services showed an average of 230 cases active cases per 100,000 residents.
The health department said a key determining metric for at-risk communities is if the current number of active cases exceeds the 200 cases per 100,000 threshold that the CDC has put forth with its current guidelines.
Over the past seven days, Fort Bend County has seen an average of 12 new COVID hospitalizations per day, according to the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council’s Dashboard (SETRAC). Approximately 6% of staff inpatient hospital beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients.
To schedule an appointment to get tested for the COVID-19 virus, call 281-633-7795. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.
For more information on testing sites and vaccination locations in Fort Bend County, click here. You can also call the vaccination hotline, for questions only, at 832-471-1373.