Here are things to know for Tuesday, Feb. 9:
1. 17 people shot this weekend in Houston, including four teenagers
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Between Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 17 people including four teenagers were shot in Houston, the most of any weekend this year and part of a growing trend of violence in the city.
“We haven’t seen this kind of violence, since the late 80s and early 90s when crack first hit the streets here in Houston,” said Doug Griffith, the president of the Houston Police Officers Union.
Mayor Sylvester Turner began his Monday press conference addressing the shootings, instead of COVID-19, calling his administration’s commitment to reducing crime “our top priority.”
2. Local analysts weigh in on stimulus package, direct $1,400 checks
House Democrats released more details about their COVID-19 relief bill and its $1,400 stimulus checks. This comes after President Joe Biden announced a $1.9 trillion stimulus package, which local analysts say will help people and the economy.
In this new bill, Democrats decided on keeping the income cutoff the same. It includes $1,400 payments for individuals who earn up to $75,000 per year and their dependents and 28-hundred for married couples earning up to $150,000 per year.
University of Houston’s Economics Department Chair and professor Dietrich Vollrath said the $1.9 trillion stimulus package is appropriately sized.
3. Houston, Dallas eyed as starter spots for FEMA vaccination ‘super sites’ in Texas, Abbott says
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is working with the state to create two vaccination sites with an additional 5,000 to 6,000 vaccinations per day.
The sites would be operational seven days a week for eight weeks, according to Abbott’s tweet on the matter.
Abbott added that expansion may extend to other places.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo sounded off on Abbott’s news, saying she’s ready to support the effort, particularly with approximately 300,000 people on the waitlist and they’re “able to distribute more vaccines than (they’re) getting.”
4. Texas coronavirus hospitalizations fall below 10,000
The number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus fell below 10,000 on Saturday, the first time since Dec. 19, according to the state health department.
There were 9,957 hospitalizations in addition to 13,192 newly reported confirmed or suspected virus cases and 348 additional deaths due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, the department reported.
There have been 38,476 COVID-19 deaths and more than 2.15 million cases since the pandemic began.
5. 2 coronavirus variants found in Houston area
Two variants of COVID-19 have been found in the Houston area, officials announced Monday.
Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for Houston, said two men recently tested positive for the United Kingdom variant of the coronavirus. One of them has been hospitalized and the other has not, Persse said.
Persse also said that the city’s wastewater testing program has also identified the UK variant in several neighborhoods. He said researchers are still trying to determine what that data means and how to respond to it.
“This wastewater analysis is brand new, never been done before,” Persse said. “Remember, Houston was the first place on the planet to do this, and so, we’re learning as we go.”