The Woodlands Township COVID-19 Update – September 17

The Woodlands Township shared the following COVID-19 Update on Thursday, September 17, 2020.

Township to Hold Regular Board of Directors Meeting
The Woodlands Township Board of Directors will hold a Regular Board Meeting via videoconference today, Thursday, September 17, 2020, at 6 p.m. Central Daylight Time. View the meeting agenda. View instructions for public comment.

Chairman Bunch Invites You to Tonight’s Board Meeting
Chairman Gordy Bunch invites you this evening’s Woodlands Township Board of Directors Regular Board meeting streaming live at 6 p.m. Get an update on today’s orders from Governor Abbott, as well as local healthcare systems ratios for COVID-19 patients, and more.

State News

Governor Abbott Provides Update On COVID-19
Governor Abbott completed a press conference updating the state’s response and reopening under COVID-19. The governor continued to stress the importance of personal vigilance and practicing recommended health standards (staying home when possible, washing hands often, social distancing and wearing a mask in public). The state continues to focus on safety standards: (1) maintaining practices that slow the spread; (2) increasing testing; and (3) protecting the most vulnerable.

Today, the governor announced that the state will continue to use hospitalizations as the key metric for determining reopening parameters. The state will continue to focus on all data but concentrate on the regional hospitalizations in the state’s 22 hospital regions to determine the appropriate response in each of those regions. The governor indicated that if a region maintained a rate of more than 15% of hospital patients being COVID patients for greater than seven days additional recourse will be needed to slow the spread in that region.

Regions with fewer than 15% COVID patients are eligible for the following new reopening standards:

• Effective Monday, September 21, 2020, certain businesses (all retail, office, manufacturing, libraries/museums and gyms) may begin to operate at up to 75% capacity (up from 50%);
• Hospitals may return to normal elective surgeries;
• Effective Thursday, September 24, 2020, senior-living and long-term care facilities may reopen to visitation following certain health guidelines and standards;
• Bars must remain closed. The governor noted that bars have been noted nationally as potential areas of spread and therefore must remain closed. The state continues to work with bar owners and their associations on finding ways to allow bars to open as soon as possible.

19 of the state’s 22 hospital regions will be able to follow the new standards. The Rio Grande, Laredo and Victoria regions must continue to operate at the 50% capacity limitations currently in place due to continued high hospitalizations in those areas.

Governor Abbott Expands Capacity for Certain Services In Texas
Governor Greg Abbott today held a press conference to provide an update on the state’s ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19. During the press conference, the Governor issued Executive Orders expanding occupancy levels for restaurants, retail stores, office buildings, manufacturing facilities, gyms and exercise facilities and classes, museums, and libraries, and re-authorizing elective surgeries for a majority of the state of Texas. The Governor also announced new guidance related to visitations at nursing homes and long-term care facilities across the state. Read the full press release.

Advertisement

County News

Montgomery County COVID-19 Case Count September 16, 2020

View yesterday’s Daily COVID-19 Update for Montgomery County.

Montgomery County COVID-19 Case Count September 17, 2020
Montgomery County Public Health District, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, is saddened to confirm an additional death related to COVID-19.

• A woman in her 70s, from Conroe, died in the hospital. She had co-morbidities in addition to testing positive for COVID-19.

They can also confirm:

• TOTAL cases of COVID-19 increased by 106 to 10,449 since yesterday’s (9/16) report.
• They are continuing to process cases that were reported to The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) directly by healthcare providers and entered into the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), run by the CDC. Out of the 106 new cases today, 47 were tested prior to 8/28.
• ACTIVE cases of COVID-19 increased by 63 to 1,568 since yesterday’s (9/16) report.
• 23 residents are known to be in the hospital, as a result of contact investigations. Contact investigations have not been initiated on all reported cases.
• 7,039 people have clinically recovered.

*These numbers do not reflect antigen or antibody testing. Have questions? Please go to https://mcphd-tx.org/ and view the FAQs.

You can find more information on the SETRAC website.

Advertisement

Take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

• Consider staying home unless it is necessary to leave your home.
• Avoid groups of people.
• Practice social distancing.
• Wear a mask (if it is necessary to leave your home).
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.
• Disinfect surfaces in your car and around your home.

View the case-by-case updates on the MCPHD website here: https://mcphd-tx.org/coronavirus-covid-19/confirmed-cases/. Refer to the dashboard here: https://coronavirus-response-moco.hub.arcgis.com/.

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 1,036 confirmed positive cases with 41 active cases, and 77389 has 537 confirmed positive cases with 37 active cases.

SETRAC Update
SETRAC keeps up with the following information relating to COVID-19: COVID Related Census, COVID Tracker, General/ICU Bed Usage, Hospital/COVID Census and Ventilator Usage. View the charts here. For more information, visit our Daily Hospital Usage webpage. 

COVID-19 Case Count Brief from The Woodlands Fire Department
As of Thursday, September 17, 2020, + or – signifies change since previous report.

Montgomery County 

• 10,449 – Confirmed, +106 (59 New cases and 46 backlogged from August)
• 1,568 – Active Cases, +63
• 135 – Deaths, +1
• 7,039 – Recovered, +42
• 23 – Hospitalized, +3

Harris County 

• 51,564 – Confirmed, +590
• 2,220 – Active Cases, +302
• 637 – Deaths, +11
• 48,706 – Recovered, +278

Get Tested for COVID-19
Montgomery County residents may sign up online for Free COVID-19 testing at https://www.mchd-tx.org. Call 936-523-3916 for more information.

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

Genalyte Expands COVID-19 Antibody Testing in The Woodlands
Genalyte announced the opening of a new COVID-19 antibody testing site at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, Texas, 77380). Genalyte’s SARS-CoV-2 MultiAntigen Serology Panel tests for antibodies the body can produce in response to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19). Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register today.

Advertisement

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 will now be published every Tuesday and Thursday. Manage your notifications and subscriptions.

Food and Drug Administration Addresses Questions Regarding Remdesivir
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working to address the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and keep consumers informed on the latest developments. The FDA answers some frequently asked questions from consumers about the clinical trials and Emergency Use Authorizations for remdesivir. View the Q and A.

Staying Safe While at the Beach, Lake or Pool
With fall approaching, many are soaking up the last bit of summer at the beach, lake and pool. Before you grab your swim gear and sunscreen, you should be aware of COVID-19 risks. COVID-19 isn’t spread through water. The greatest risk for getting the virus comes from crowded areas (public restrooms, ice cream trucks, etc.) Take extra precautions by maintaining a safe social distance of 6 feet/2 meters from others both in and out of the water, wearing a mask when not in the water and practicing proper hygiene. Visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid crowds. Look for beaches that mark off areas for people to set up.

September is National Preparedness Month
National Preparedness Month (NPM) is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster planning. As our nation continues to respond to COVID-19, there is no better time to be involved this September. Learn more now.

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.

Stay Connected 
Please stay connected to The Woodlands Township through our many communications channels. Learn more and sign up at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/stayinformed.

Source: The Woodlands Township

Advertisement