News

The Woodlands Fire Department receives COVID-19 Vaccinations

By The Woodlands Township | December 30, 2020

Read the following COVID-19 update released by The Woodlands Township as of Tuesday, December 29, 2020.

The Woodlands Fire Department Receives Vaccinations
The Woodlands Fire Department began getting vaccinated through Memorial Hermann on Monday, December 28, 2020. Pictured below, Fire Chief Palmer Buck receives his vaccine against the virus yesterday morning.

New COVID-19 Texas Vaccination Data Dashboard
A new dashboard is available through the Texas Department of State Health Services showing COVID-19 vaccination data in Texas. The dashboard has many aspects of important information in sum and by county for variables including vaccine distribution, type of organizations receiving the distributions, doses administered and people vaccinated. View the dashboard.

CDC COVID Data Tracker
In addition, the CDC provides updated national information online daily. CDC’s COVID Data Tracker has a County View to help make decisions about everyday activities.

COVID-19 Testing in The Woodlands
Testing is taking place at The Woodlands Township Town Hall, 2801 Technology Forest Blvd., The Woodlands, Texas 77381, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Customers are asked to submit their insurance information. Testing is offered at no cost to the customer. Customers without insurance will still be tested at no personal cost using coverage from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. Please note, WALK-UPS WELCOME.

A second testing site in The Woodlands is located at Sterling Ridge Park and Ride, 8001 McBeth Way. The site opened December 15, 2020, and will remain open through January 31, 2021. It is a “self-serve” drive-thru operation with hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Please note the following holiday hours for both sites below:

New Year’s Eve: Thursday, December 31, 2020 – Closed
New Year’s Day: Friday, January 1, 2021 – Closed

For more information about COVID-19 testing by Curative, please visit the Township website, or www.curative.com.

County News

Montgomery County COVID-19 Case Count December 29, 2020
Montgomery County Public Health District, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, sadly confirms an additional death related to COVID-19. A man in his 60s, from New Caney, died in the hospital. He had co-morbidities in addition to testing positive for COVID-19.

Also confirmed:

• TOTAL cases of COVID-19 increased by 2,013 to 26,379 since Wednesday’s (12/23) report. Of the 2,013 new cases, 1,864 were tested since 12/17/2020.

• ACTIVE cases of COVID-19 increased by 963 to 7,771 since last Wednesday’s (12/23) report.

• 48 residents are known, as a result of contact investigations, to be in the hospital. Contact investigations have not been initiated on all reported cases.

• 13,855 people have clinically recovered.

The Testing Positivity Rate for Montgomery County is 14%. This number is updated weekly on Wednesdays. Source: UT Health, School of Public Health.

Follow CDC guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

Avoid groups of people.
Practice social distancing.
Wear a mask in public (over your nose and mouth) or with others who live outside your household. Never share a mask with others.
Teach children proper hygiene and the correct way to wear a mask.
Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.
Disinfect surfaces in your car and around your home.

*These numbers include PCR and rapid antigen testing. Antibody testing is not included. Have questions? Please go to https://mcphd-tx.org/ and scroll down to the FAQs.

Harris County COVID-19 Case Count
Harris County Public Health (HCPH) publishes their daily case count, combined with the City of Houston’s daily case count, here. Cases by zip code in Harris County can be found by clicking on areas of the map.

The Village of Creekside Park is located in two zip codes: 77375 and 77389, and these also include Magnolia, Augusta Pines/Auburn Lakes/West Rayford Road in northwest Harris County. Today, Harris County is reporting zip code 77375 has 2,388 confirmed positive cases with 511 active cases, and 77389 has 1,345 confirmed positive cases with 292 active cases.

View Hospital Use Through SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council (SETRAC)
SETRAC is a powerful coalition of providers, responders, and other healthcare related partners united together to save lives and improve health outcomes through research, education and collaboration. You can find more information and view hospital use related to COVID-19 on their website, setrac.org.

COVID-19 Case Count Brief from The Woodlands Fire Department
All numbers since December 22, 2020.

Montgomery County

26,379 – Confirmed +2541
7,771 – Active +1325
187 – Deaths +1
13,855 – Recovered +681
48 – Hospitalized +11

Harris County

118,004- Confirmed +4054
17,712 – Active Cases +2644
1,077 – Deaths +11
99,199 – Recovered +3953

Montgomery County Testing
Do you have questions regarding COVID-19 or COVID-19 testing? The Montgomery County COVID-19 Call Center’s number is 936-523-3916. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Harris County Testing
Residents may also sign up for free COVID-19 testing online at hcphtx.org. Call 832-927-7575 for more information.

National News

It’s a Good Time to Get Your Flu Vaccine
While the United States remains focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to be aware of flu season as winter approaches, with activity peaking between December and February. Getting vaccinated now can lower your chances of getting the flu. Flu vaccines approved by the FDA provide important benefits and are your best defense from flu and its potential complications. Learn more from the FDA.

CDC Recommendations for Winter Celebrations, Travel and Other Activities
Enjoy the holidays and take steps to protect yourself from getting or spreading COVID-19. The safest way to celebrate winter holidays is to celebrate at home with the people you live with. Gatherings with family and friends who do not live with you can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. Read the full article for more information on holiday travel, tips to stay safe, safer celebrations and other winter holiday activities.

CDC Vaccine Update
Because the supply of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States is limited at first, CDC recommends that initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccine be allocated to healthcare personnel and long-term care facility residents. The recommendations were made with the following goals in mind: Decrease death and serious disease as much as possible; Preserve functioning of society; and Reduce the extra burden COVID-19 is having on people already facing disparities.

Read the following CDC articles for more information. 8 Things to Know About the U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Program, When Vaccine is Limited, Who Gets Vaccinated First?, Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination.

Keep Up with Best Practices During the Pandemic at CDC.GOV
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Beware of Scams Related to the Vaccine
While we wait for a timeline and more information on the roll-out of the vaccines to the general public, there’s no doubt scammers will be scheming. Read the full article for what you need to know to avoid a vaccine-related scam. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched a new website, ReportFraud.ftc.gov, where consumers can easily report fraud and all other consumer issues directly to the FTC.

FTC Offers Tips to Avoid Family Emergency Scams
“Hello? It’s me — Frosty. Look it’s a long story but without my top hat, I’m melting. Please, I need your help — send money now or I’ll be nothing but a puddle!” On the eighth day of Consumer Protection, it’s definitely worth remembering that scammers can be really convincing. It’s surprisingly easy for a scammer to impersonate someone, and they don’t take a break, even at this time of year. Read more from the Federal Trade Commission’s eighth day of Consumer Protection.

State News

COVID-19 Vaccination Program Activated for Long-Term Care Staff, Residents
Governor Greg Abbott recently announced that the State of Texas will participate in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, a federal program to vaccinate residents and staff of long-term care facilities against COVID-19. The program is free of charge and sends staff and Pfizer vaccines from Walgreens and CVS locations to these facilities. The first vaccines included in this program will be provided to pharmacies the week of December 21, 2020, and the program will begin December 28, 2020. Read the full press release.

Around the Township

Travel Confidently in The Woodlands
Making travel plans this holiday season? Whether you’re looking to stay in The Woodlands or just here for the day, don’t forget to #WearAMask. Wearing a mask and social distancing are some of the ways you can #TravelConfidently in The Woodlands.

Local hotels are offering special offers for the holidays, check out the Visit The Woodlands website to book directly. All of The Woodlands hotel properties are open and have implemented enhanced health and safety procedures, as recommended by the CDC. To learn more, click on the “COVID-19 Updates” button within each hotel listing. Read additional information from the CDC regarding holiday travel.

Community Resources

Numerous resources are available in the community for support. These vary from food banks to financial assistance and much more. Please visit the Community Resources webpage to find more information about resources in the community related to COVID-19.

The Woodlands Township COVID-19 eNewsletter
The Woodlands Township COVID-19 (Coronavirus) informational enewsletter is published every Tuesday and Thursday and as needed. Manage your notifications and subscriptions.

Township’s Coronavirus Page
The Woodlands Township’s COVID-19 page can be found at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/covid19. This page features Montgomery and Harris county hubs, community resources and news from the Federal Government and the CDC. It also includes the latest news from the Township, partner agencies, important links, FAQs, live Twitter feeds and more.

Source: The Woodlands Township