HOUSTON — It’s hard to miss the headline on the front page of Thursday's Houston Chronicle: "Stay at Home This July 4th Weekend."
“I mean, this is the weekend to really be isolated if you can,” said Dr. Rob Phillips of Houston Methodist.
The hospital took out the full front-page ad that also stresses wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands.
Phillips told us staying home is the safest thing to do, and even being with family and friends presents a risk of spreading COVID-19.
"You have to use the weapons that you have at hand," Phillips said. "These are the weapons we have at hand to defeat this virus at this time.”
Scores of patients and others also got push alerts from Houston Methodist.
They echoed the message about staying home and taking other precautions.
The hospital’s aggressive pre-Fourth of July push is based on the surging COVID-19 caseload at it and other facilities in the Texas Medical Center and elsewhere.
"And it is very concerning because our positivity rates have gone up significantly," Phillips said. "From about 10 percent in May to around 35 percent.”
The Greater Houston Partnership is also urging its member business to encourage employees to be responsible.
“As we work together to change Houston’s COVID trajectory, we are hearing from many major employers that while you have put in place health and safety protocols that are helping prevent the spread of the virus in the workplace, it is the behavior of employees outside the workplace that is driving the issue,” wrote President and CEO Bob Harvey in a mass email.
Outside activities are what many are worried about as we head into another holiday that coincides with COVID-19.
"And now the spotlight’s on Houston," Dr. Phillips said. "The country is watching us. They want to see how we are going to do.”
For more information, visit Houston Methodist's coronavirus resource page.