Heat waves might not be the only kind of wave Houstonians have to deal with in the next few weeks, as experts from the Houston Health Department have predicted a potential “Covid Wave” as cases have been slowly increasing over the past five weeks.

Every year, the Houston Health Department employees deliver more than 25,000 doses of antibiotics to 150 people with TB.

Doctors are seeing more than just liver disease as a consequence of heavy alcohol use.

Dr. David Persse, Chief Medical Officer for the City of Houston, joins KPRC 2+ Now at 7 to share more on the highly contagious disease

Dr. David Persse, Chief Medical Officer with the City of Houston, shared top heat safety tips on KPRC 2+ at 7.

Dr. David Persse, Chief Medical Officer for the City of Houston, joins KPRC 2+ at 7 to help us understand exactly when children need their shots against preventable diseases.

Dr. David Persse of the Houston Health Department has a warning about this week's threat of dangerous heat and how to protect yourself.

Dr. David Persse explains why ozone action days and ozone pollution levels are considered unhealthy for some, and how people can protect themselves.

Dr. David Persse, Chief Medical Officer for the City of Houston, shares how the city's working to avoid a resurgence.

City of Houston chief medical officer talks preventing the bacterial illness and signs to look out for.

A doctor breaks down the opioid crisis and its presence in Houston.

Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the Houston Health Department, joins us to talk about how high cholesterol and high blood pressure are leading risk factors for heart problems and what can people start doing today to lower their risk of heart problems?

Nearly 13 percent of adults in Houston live with diabetes, and for some neighborhoods, that number is even higher, up to 24 percent. In our latest 2 your health segment, we welcome back Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the city of Houston.

Houston area health authorities Dr. Ericka Brown from the Harris County Public Health (HCPH) and Dr. David Persse from the Houston Health Department (HHD), hosted a virtual Q&A about monkeypox on Thursday.

Leaders from the Harris County Public Health and Houston Health Department held a Q&A virtual news conference to discuss updates relating to monkeypox and departments’ efforts on mitigating the spread of the virus.

With Harris County having a count of more than 1 million COVID cases, and Houston wastewater revealing seven times more of the virus than this time in 2020, local doctors are warning residents to take precautions when it comes to COVID-19.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again.

We’ve reached the Omicron peak in the Houston area. The hope is we will move past it soon.

A girl under 10 is the city’s youngest confirmed pediatric COVID-19 death, the Houston Health Department announced Wednesday.

The city of Houston knows a lot of you are infected with Omicron, and they don’t even need your test results to prove it. They’ve been sampling your wastewater since July 2020.

One year ago this month, Rotceh Pena was surprised when she was diagnosed with a severe COVID infection.

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Houston’s wastewater, the Houston Health Department announced Monday night.

The Houston Health Department will begin Friday vaccinating children as young as five against COVID-19. Medical staff at La Nueva Casa de Amigos Health Center will get things underway administering shots in the arms of the children.

Here are things to know for Wednesday, August 18:

As the new school year begins for Texas students, at least four school districts have had to temporarily close campuses due to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Persse will provide an update on the City's response to COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations.

In 2016, an independent study commissioned by the city of Houston called for 70 “peak time” ambulances to be added to the Houston Fire Department in order to effectively serve the city’s population.

Houston area officials say the latest wave of COVID-19 cases is pushing the local health care system to nearly “a breaking point,” resulting in some patients having to be transferred out of the city to get medical care, including one who had to be taken to North Dakota.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner held a news conference Wednesday where he addressed a deficit in the city’s blood supply. Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Persse and representatives for the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center joined Turner for the 11 a.m. announcement.

Officials from Harris County and the city of Houston stressed Tuesday a recommended pause in the distribution of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine won’t affect supply, for now.

Federal health officials recommended a pause Tuesday in the administration of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine while reports of blood clots in people who have received the shot are investigated.

Houston officials held a news conference Tuesday to announce the official groundbreaking to “transform Hilcroft Avenue into a safer and more equitable road,” according to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

HOUSTON – The Houston Health Department announced Monday the U.K. variant (B.1.1.7) of the virus that causes COVID-19 was found in most of the city’s wastewater treatment plants. Wastewater samples collected on Feb. 22, detected the U.K. variant at 31 of the city’s 39 wastewater treatment plants. “The prevalence of the U.K. variant in our wastewater shows it’s actively spreading in our city,” said Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the city of Houston. People who have COVID-19 shed virus in their feces, regardless of symptoms, the Health Department said. Nine cases of the U.K. variant, one case of the South African variant, two cases of the Brazil variant, and 11 cases of the California variant are currently confirmed in Houston, according to the department’s news release Monday.

Dr. David Persse, Houston’s chief medical officer, spoke about various medical situations he has seen pop up during the winter storm. You can find a list of warming centers here. Dialysis patientsPersse said people who need dialysis may be having trouble getting their treatment because many of the dialysis centers are dealing with power outages and low water pressure. In the meantime, some providers may direct their patients to other dialysis centers that do have the ability to provide treatment. Outpatient clinicsPersse said most outpatient clinics are dealing with power outages and water issues just like everyone else.

Here are things to know for Tuesday, Feb. 9:1. Local analysts weigh in on stimulus package, direct $1,400 checksHouse 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. University of Houston’s Economics Department Chair and professor Dietrich Vollrath said the $1.9 trillion stimulus package is appropriately sized. 2 coronavirus variants found in Houston areaTwo variants of COVID-19 have been found in the Houston area, officials announced Monday.

HOUSTON – 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. Both Persse and Minter said they wouldn’t be surprised if more cases of the variants start being reported in the Houston area. Vaccine updateHouston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the Houston Health Department is concentrating on ensuring equity in the distribution of its doses of the coronavirus vaccine. Latest numbersTurner said the Health Department reported an additional 1,005 cases Monday, bringing the city’s total for the pandemic to 163,438.

HOUSTON – New data illustrates a downward trend in COVID-19 positivity rates in Harris County and Houston. “This is great news to see that those numbers are coming down,” said Dr. David Persse, the chief medical officer for Houston. “I think we need to keep in mind that we are starting from a really high level.”CHART: Track coronavirus cases in Houston areaPersse believes there’s a decline because the holiday season is over. Although, he starts college this summer and is hopeful if the downward trend remains in effect, his classes won’t be virtual. CONTINUING COVERAGE: Follow coronavirus news in our special section“Because people don’t want to come in because of COVID,” said server Brianna Razo.

HOUSTON – Nurses are playing an important role in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and Houston’s health authority said hospitals are looking for more of them. Speaking with the news media on Monday, he also had a message for retired nurses and nurses currently out of the workforce. “If you’re thinking about getting back into it, the community could certainly use you now,” Dr. Persse said. Everyone needs and is looking for nurses in all capacities,” said Angela Gray, regional business development manager for ProHealth Medical Staffing. LINKS:- Harris Health (Feb. 23, 2021, virtual event information): https://jobs.harrishealth.org/- Houston Methodist (Feb. 2, 2021 nursing virtual open house): https://www.houstonmethodistcareers.org/jobs/nursing/- ProHealth Medical Staffing: https://www.phmstaffing.com/

HOUSTON – People who are supposed to get their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine will soon be able to schedule that appointment themselves. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that the city’s Health Department has received nearly 42,000 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine with nearly 34,000 of them having been administered. He said nearly 12,000 people have appointments to get their second dose this week. Turner said the Houston Health Department is currently contacting people directly to schedule their second dose. However, he said the second dose is necessary to get the full benefits of the vaccine.

HOUSTON – There is encouraging news regarding a sharp decline across the country in the number of new COVID-19 cases. I’m glad to get it, but I’m still scratching my head,” said Dr. David Persse of the Houston Health Authority. And until I have a good answer to that, I’m hesitant to speculate.”Persse said while the latest stats nationally are certainly a good thing, they are not indicative of the trend in the COVID-19 cases across the Houston area. “Here in Houston, Harris County, we’re not seeing a decline,” he said. While there is promise in the latest numbers regarding COVID-19 cases and more people continue to get vaccinated, Persse said now is not the time to be complacent.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Monday that the Houston Health Department has opened its first drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site. We know that demand is higher than the supply of vaccine,” Turner said. As of Monday, the Houston Health Department says it has administered a total of 31,159 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Houston Health Department reports its largest number of cases Monday. The volume of calls about second doses ahead of time is creating long wait times at our call center,” The Houston Health Department tweeted on Monday.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that future coronavirus vaccine megasites will be dependent on the supply of doses that is received by the city. Turner said demand for the vaccine is far outpacing the amount of vaccine that is available. Turner said that as soon as more doses of the vaccine are received, the city will start opening up additional appointment slots. Williams said the Houston Health Department is expecting to get more vaccine doses from the state this week. ‘Middle of the storm’The Houston Health Department reported an additional 1,460 cases Monday, bringing the total number of cases to more than 131,000.

HOUSTON – Some of the first frontline workers for the city of Houston are getting their coronavirus vaccines Monday after 6,000 doses arrived at the Houston Health Department and the Houston Fire Department. Dr. Stephen Williams, director of HHD, said the first shots will go to the 260 workers who qualify in Phase 1A. He said the Health Department is also preparing to administer the vaccine to 365 school nurses in both the Houston and Pearland school districts. “Get vaccinated.”Harris County Public Health now vaccinating frontline health workersOn Monday, Harris County Public Health is administering doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to those eligible for Phase 1A. Cases continue to riseNews of the additional doses in Houston came as new cases of the virus were reported in Houston.

HOUSTON – The Texas Medical Center is hosting a briefing Tuesday that will provide an update on the vaccine rollout across the Texas Medical Center. Health experts said they’re concerned about the increasing cases in the area. Health experts said they saw the impact from Thanksgiving and believe the number of cases can continue to grow as families gather for the holidays. Families are encouraged to practice social distancing and take a COVID-19 test if planning to spend it with a “safe bubble” of people. Health experts have recommended patients talk to their doctor before taking the vaccine.

HOUSTON – State health officials are prioritizing seniors and people with serious illnesses in the latest phase of the coronavirus vaccine rollout. In the first phase, frontline health care workers and people living in long-term care facilities were eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 1A. Houston Health Authority, Dr. David Persse said moving on to the next phase of vaccinations also depends on how quickly individual healthcare providers complete vaccinations of frontline healthcare workers. Texas’ recent decision goes against a Centers for Disease Control advisory panel’s recommendation that frontline workers, including teachers, police officers, firefighters and grocery store workers be next in line for the vaccine. “I think that’s really good news that the CDC has recognized teachers are essential workers,” said the president of the Texas Federation of Teachers, Zeph Capo.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner urged everyone Monday to get tested for coronavirus and cancel their holiday gatherings as the city’s positivity rate rises as Christmas approaches. Turner said an additional 777 coronavirus cases were reported Monday, bringing the city’s total cases to 111,211. Three more deaths were also reported, bringing the city’s total deaths to 1,530. The city’s positivity rate as is at 11.2%, up nearly a point from last week, Turner said. “Please get tested before Christmas Eve,” Turner said.

That would mean, with many more cases, the death rate is smaller than previously thought. But health officials said the answer to that is no, it will not change the death rate. City of Houston Health officials said it’s complicated, but it comes down to two different metrics: the case fatality rate and the infection fatality rate. But will all this new data showing more people had COVID-19 but survived, will that change the death rate? But again, Persse said the death rate that is reported daily, also known as the case fatality rate, that will not change.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that while the coronavirus vaccine has arrived in the city, people should remain vigilant to control the spread of the virus. He said an additional 745 cases were reported by the Houston Health Department on Monday, bringing the total number of cases in the city to 104,962. Dr. Lauren Hopkins, of the Houston Health Department, said the survey found that 13.5% of the people whose blood were tested for coronavirus antibodies were positive. Building confidence in the vaccinePersse said the technology used to create the coronavirus vaccine was originally developed 15 years ago when the SARS virus was prevalent. Turner encouraged hospitals who receive the vaccine to make the vaccination process transparent so that people can see the process.

Here are things to know for Tuesday, Dec. 1:1. Texans, NFL teams temporarily shut down facilitiesThe Houston Texans and several other teams are all going virtual Monday and Tuesday after the NFL temporarily shut down in-person activities. According to a memo released to teams, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell caught wind of several NFL players and staffers who “celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with out-of-town guests.”Read more. 6 Klein ISD students hospitalized after ingesting substance brought from home, officials saySix Hildebrandt Intermediate School students were hospitalized Monday after ingesting a substance that was brought to school from home, officials said. According to a Facebook post on Nov. 11, Chang has been a longtime supporter and friend to Southern Smoke, participating in the 2017 Southern Smoke Festival to raise funds for restaurant workers affected by Hurricane Harvey.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that a curfew is among the “limited options” that he has available to slow the spread of coronavirus in the city as officials brace for an increase in cases after Thanksgiving travel. Turner reported an additional 685 COVID-19 cases in the city and a positivity rate of 8.4%, which is slightly lower than last week. The mayor said November was the second busiest month for testing at city-affiliated testing sites since the pandemic began. “If by chance you see me coming in, I’m not coming in there for a drink,” Turner said. He asked business owners to work with city officials in order to ensure that social-distancing and occupancy requirements are observed.

HOUSTON – Houston’s chief medical officer said hospitals will be the first facilities in the area to receive a coronavirus vaccine once it’s available locally. “We’ll be protecting healthcare workers, but in particular these are healthcare workers who are in the practice of caring for COVID positive patients,” Dr. David Persse said on Monday. “We’ll be prioritizing those communities that have increased risk and less availability due to all kinds of healthcare inequities,” Persse said. The list includes healthcare workers, frontline workers and people in vulnerable populations who are at greater risk of severe disease and death if they contract COVID-19. The health department expects to receive the vaccines from the manufacturer, Persse said.

HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner encouraged Houstonians Monday to follow health and safety protocols during the Thanksgiving weekend. Turner announced the city’s positivity rate and current COVID-19 cases ahead of the holiday weekend. Turner said the city’s positivity rate is now 8.8% -- last week it was 7.9%. Turner said the city’s original goal was to bring the positivity rate to 5%, but now, he’s only asking for residents’ help in not letting the rate continue to rise. The mayor is asking for Houstonians to not gather in large groups or to have Thanksgiving outdoors with immediate family members.

HOUSTON – With a little more than a week to go until Thanksgiving, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner urged people Monday to forgo their usual travel and gatherings to mark the holiday. Turner said Houston’s total number of COVID-19 cases had climbed to 90,239 and the city’s total number of coronavirus-related deaths was at 1,398. “This virus thrives on gatherings,” Turner said. “Don’t invite COVID for Thanksgiving dinner,” Turner said. No Thanksgiving parade in Houston this yearTurner said the city’s normal Thanksgiving parade will not happen this year.

HOUSTON – Nearly eight months into the coronavirus pandemic, Houston and Harris County are experiencing a slight surge in new cases of COVID-19. In Houston and Harris County, there are more than 165,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. “We’ve seen the number of positive cases reported going up a bit. Dr. David Persse, the Chief Medical Officer for the city of Houston, says it’s too early to determine where the small uptick is coming from. To view the Harris County and Houston COVID-19 dashboard, visit here.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Texas Governor Greg Abbot’s Thursday reopening plan is a “little more aggressive” than he would prefer. Abbott said he planned to use the state’s hospitalization rate as the determining factor for the reopening plan. The goal is for Houston’s positivity rate to be at 5% or below for at least 14 days, Turner said. Turner said he concerned the reopening plan will cause a spike in new cases and deaths. Here is the full press conference from Turner:WATCH LIVE: Mayor Sylvester Turner gives update and discusses Gov.

HOUSTON Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is set to discuss Wednesday a plan for allowing some special events to resume in the city. In an announcement about his 3 p.m. news conference, officials said they mayor will announce plans for restarting limited special events in Houston on a limited basis.Among those joining Turner for the news conference will be Dr. David Persse, the citys health authority, and Susan Christian, director of the Mayors Office of Special Events. Click2Houston.com plans to offer a livestream of the event. This story will be updated.

HOUSTON Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that the citys coronavirus positivity rate was headed in the right direction as school districts in the area continue to reopen. Turner said the Houston Health Department is reporting 158 new coronavirus cases and eight additional virus-related deaths as of Monday. He said the number of new COVID-19 cases is low and he was proud to say the city is moving in the right direction. As of Monday, Turner announced that the citys positivity rate is 7.8%, which is a significant decrease compared to last weeks positivity rate at 9.8%. Houston Health Departments Dr. David Persse said it is important for the positivity rate to stay low ahead of school reopenings and virus season.

All rights reserved)HOUSTON – The Houston Health Department announced the schedule for more than 20 free COVID-19 testing sites Monday. On average, testing site labs report providing COVID-19 test results to people within four days. “We currently have more testing capacity in Houston than any time during the pandemic but the number of people getting tested continues to decrease,” said. The health department is providing test kits, lab access and equipment to local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) so they can expand their COVID-19 testing capacity. The centers and phone numbers people can call to set up testing appointments are:

HOUSTON As the number of coronavirus cases continues to climb across the area and officials ramp up testing and contact tracing efforts, a Houston-based consulting firm is asking questions about the information regarding those cases. We told them we dont want any medical information... Tell me where you found evidence of community spread, he said. But some city leaders said that type of information cant be released as a matter of health privacy laws and more. When we last looked at it, what the group told me was that they werent really finding any one particular place, nor the type of place. But they wont give us information, safety information that could protect people, he said.

HOUSTON A recent change in the way the state is counting COVID-19 deaths may explain why the total number of deaths on Harris Countys coronavirus dashboard doesnt line up with the states dashboard, according to Houston health officials. As of Tuesday night, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services listed 1,127 deaths in Harris County but the county dashboard only lists 670 deaths which also includes numbers from the city of Houston. Because of that, Persse said hes not worried that the number of deaths reported might be wrong. The city plans to switch to the states method of reporting deaths in the next few days, Persse said. As of Tuesday night, the county planned to continue the method of checking the death certificate against the lab result before reporting the death, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Health Department said.

AUSTIN, Texas Texas surpassed 4,000 deaths in the coronavirus pandemic Monday but officials in Houston, one of the hardest-hit cities in the U.S., say they are cautiously optimistic about recent trends following weeks of alarming surges at hospitals. Texas reported more than 7,400 confirmed new cases and at least 62 new deaths. The virus continues taking a particularly hard toll along the Texas-Mexico border: Hidalgo County has reported more than 140 deaths over the past week, and the county judge on Monday signed a shelter-at-home order. This action will help us do the right thing to save and protect each other from this deadly disease by sheltering at home, said Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez. But in Houston, officials say they are seeing signs of optimism.

HOUSTON When the city of Houston reported its first day of double-digit deaths, KPRC 2 noticed one of the deceased dated back to May 4. Persse explains only confirmed deaths from COVID-19 are reported, suspected deaths are not. One is medical, which is filled out by a doctor, hospital staff or a medical examiners office depending on where a person dies. Officials with the Harris County Medical Examiners Office also report no concerns about capacity in the morgue. As of Thursday, there have been 508 deaths reported in Houston and Harris County.

In the initial chapters of the pandemic, there was much written and learned about contact tracing. Channel 2 Investigates spoke with State Rep. Tom Oliverson on Monday about contact tracing and it’s relevance with significantly higher case numbers. “I think contact tracing is still very relevant especially where you have discreet outbreaks in sort of a more closed environment,” Oliverson said. Oliverson points to nursing homes, camps, organized team practices and indoor environments as examples where contact tracing now works best. However, if outside those kinds of areas contact tracing doesn’t have the same impact.

Here are things you need to know for Tuesday, July 14:1. Turner was joined by Houstons Health Authority Dr. David Persse and Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Pea, among others. Of those deaths, 77 are associated with nursing homes and three to Harris County Jail, Turner said. One task force has been in San Antonio since July 6 and the other task force arrived in Houston Monday. 3 things to shareWORD OF THE DAYXeric [zeer-ik] (adjective) of, relating to or adapted to a dry environment.

HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner said that COVID-19 is running rampant in the city of Houston Monday as he announced 1,544 new cases bringing the city’s total to well over 30,000 cases. Turner was joined by Houston’s Health Authority Dr. David Persse and Houston Fire Department Chief Sam Peña, among others. Turner said the virus does not discriminate and will impact anyone who is in close proximity to others. Turner said he wants the economy to remain open but said it is important the city deal with the virus. RELATED: Harris County heat map shows coronavirus cases by ZIP codeHe too urged residents to wear masks.

HOUSTON Mayor Sylvester Turner will give an update on the citys ongoing response to COVID-19. Turner will be joined by Dr. David Persse, Fire Chief Sam Pena and police Chief Art Acevedo at 3 p.m. Thursday.

HOUSTON Houston leaders continue to push for the Texas GOP to cancel its in-person convention due to the citys coronavirus spread. The cancellation request comes from Mayor Sylvester Turner, the citys top doctor, the Greater Houston Partnership and some Democratic Congressional leaders. Turner sent a letter to the Republican Party of Texas, asking them to move from an in-person convention to a virtual one. Abbott said there will be more hospitalizations in Houston and more deaths and says party leaders will make that determination based on issues and facts. When the governor was asked if he would tell them to move the convention to a virtual convention, he said leaders will take it into consideration.

HOUSTON Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will provide an update on the coronavirus situation in Houston Monday at 3 p.m.KPRC 2 will live stream the event, in which the mayor will speak, along with Dr. David Persse, Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena and Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo. A news release from the mayors office says that the speakers will address the citys COVID-19 response to rising positive numbers and hospitalizations. The update is scheduled to appear in the live stream player at the top of this article when the mayor begins the update. Turner shared this update Monday on social media about wearing masks as we head into the new week.

People start thinking, Oh, its getting better, and then go back to the exact same behaviors that give the virus its advantage again, said Persse. Persse said this thinking is why were seeing a wave of cases far greater than what many thought was our peak of the virus in April. Positivity rate for COVID-19 in Houston (KPRC)Positivity rate for COVID-19 in Houston (KPRC)Positivity rate for COVID-19 in Houston (KPRC)Persse said part of this high percentage comes population density. Persse said regardless of whats driving the percentage, the numbers clearly show the virus is still circulating in the community. Persse said some models suggest it could be a month before seeing the virus numbers peak, it all depends on how Texans handle this latest surge in cases.

Its why we took some of your questions to the experts to get answers. Our boss said cleaning and disinfecting the work area wasnt necessary because my co-worker had worn a mask while he was there. The Employment Paid Sick Leave Act requires employers to pay employees for 10 days off (two work weeks) when they cant work because of coronavirus. The Emergency Family Medical Leave Act gives employees 50 paid days off (after they take 10 days of unpaid leave) due to coronavirus-related issues. Employment attorney Rogge Dunn of the Rogge Dunn Group in Dallas said the acts can be stacked for a total of 60 paid days leave with a letter or call to human resources.

However, now officials express concern as hospitalizations increase and daily count totals surge to all-time highs. The Greater Houston area, and Texas overall, is dealing with a greater hospitalization surge due to COVID-19 patients. Persse said that this was a big help in the process. Theoretically its a big help. But as things have changed, it could potentially be a big help now, he said.

HOUSTON – To help create additional capacity for adult hospitals in the Houston area, Texas Children’s Hospital is now admitting adults, a spokesperson said. Other hospitals in Greater Houston are prepared to “activate surge plans.”COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas have more than doubled in the last month, Gov. “There is a limit to the number of hospital beds that we currently have and hospitals are seriously considering activating their surge plans,” Houston Health Authority Dr. David Persse said. A surge plan is an emergency plan to expand available ICU beds above normal maximum capacities. “When challenged with those surge plans, (which) are very resource-intensive, and that’s probably not something they would be able to do for a long period of time,” Persse said.

HOUSTON Mayor Sylvester Turner will address the rise in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in Houston. The announcement will begin at 3 p.m. where the mayor will give an update on current cases as well. He will be joined by Dr. David Persse and Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena. This is a developing story.

HOUSTON The Houston area started seeing an uptick in hospitalization rates towards the end of May, prompting doctors in the Texas Medical center to again urge the public to take health precautions. That means we mask, that means we maintain social distancing, and if were sick that means we dont go to work, McDeavitt said. Houston Health Authority, Dr, David Persse believes the uptick is due to people relaxing social distancing and other preventative measures. Generally about two weeks after an event you start seeing these things showing up in the hospitalization numbers, Persse said. Medical Center data also shows a good supply of personal protection equipment is on-hand for the various hospital system.

HOUSTON On Monday, the Greater Houston area reported 1,052 new cases of COVID-19, which was the highest daily count announced. The numbers may be due to a lag in reporting, according to Dr. David Persse with the Houston Health Department. For the city of Houston, we arent reporting numbers on Sunday," he said. Im less concerned about a one-day spike and more concerned about what we may see in the summer and fall, said Hotez. Hotez said now that the Houston area has eased up on social distancing there may be an increase in COVID-19 cases in the coming months.

Im very, very concerned.Hes concerned many in the community dont feel the need to be cautious with COVID-19 anymore. Nearly 30% of Houston and Harris Countys positive cases are in that unknown category. COVID-19 race and ethnic breakdownAccording to city and county data, 30% of positive cases are Hispanic, 19% are African-American, 16% are white and 3% are Asian. When it comes to COVID-19 fatalities in the city of Houston, 34% are African-American, 31% Hispanic, 27% white, and 5% Asian. In Harris County, though, the breakdown is different, as 34% of the deaths were white, 29% Hispanic, 27% African-American and 7% Asian.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at his daily coronavirus update Wednesday said there is no unilateral plan to reopen the city. “I don’t think anyone is saying that all of a sudden Monday for example that it’s going to be business as usual,” Turner said. “I don’t think the governor is saying that. Now, instead of someone else swabbing their nose, people are being asked to swab themselves, but they are having a hard time understanding how to do it, so that is causing some backup at testing sites, Persse said. Persse said they are working to iron out the kinks and get the testing sites running smoothly.

HOUSTON Health officials in Harris County, including the city of Houston, have released a map broken down by ZIP code that shows where coronavirus cases have been reported. The map is a collaboration with Harris County Public Health and the Houston Health Department. The ZIP code map can be found by clicking here. Officials also released this list of cases by jurisdictions in Harris County. More coronavirus coverage Find cases by zip code: Harris County heat map shows coronavirus cases by ZIP code Cases by county: A breakdown of how many coronavirus cases there are by county in the Houston area Answering your questions: Weve got answers to dozens and dozens of your health and financial coronavirus questions Haleys Health Inbox: KPRC 2 reporter Haley Hernandez answers questions readers are sending her every day Coronavirus charts: Who is getting coronavirus in the Houston area?

HOUSTON – For days, Houston officials, including Mayor Sylvester Turner, touted the relatively low death totals tied to coronavirus in the Houston area. As of Wednesday, the number of coronavirus-related deaths reported in Houston stands at 12. For nearly two weeks since his death, the reported coronavirus-related deaths in Houston has been off by at least one, Jina said. Dr. David Persse, with the Houston Health Department, thanked KPRC 2 for uncovering the March death. He said city officials are working to confirm the case with a potential announcement Thursday.

HOUSTON – The city of Houston has expanded the eligibility to get tested for the coronavirus. Now, any individual showing coronavirus-related symptoms can be evaluated at Butler Stadium, the city's only testing facility. During a press conference Saturday afternoon, Mayor Slyvester Turn said the city anticipates the opening of another site this upcoming week. Seven Houston Police Department officers are among those who tested positive for COVID-19. History has shown in different pandemics when the community comes together and does the right thing, both on the individual level and the government level.”

HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner provided an update Thursday on coronavirus testing in Houston. Here are the top takeaways regarding the response to the coronavirus outbreak, including the announcement of the first death in Houston. Houston to sustain 1 testing siteTurner said the Butler Stadium testing facility in Houston has tested 1,100 people. FEMA supplies are comingTurner said FEMA shipped another load of supplies, including 5,000 test kits, Thursday. Free meals at Houston parksThe city of Houston will continue to help feed children during the Stay At Home order.

HOUSTON – Houston Health Department provided specific instructions for people who tested positive for the new coronavirus. Individuals, who test positive for coronavirus and are minimally ill, shouldn’t go to the emergency room or the hospital, Persse said. If they become sicker, the person should call ahead to the doctor or the emergency room, Persse said. Once their symptoms reduce, the person should talk with their health provider about the next steps, Persse said. Persse noted the post-care instruction may vary based on the health provider.