Houston's virus positivity rate comes in just above 5% goal in August

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Before August began, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner had a goal in mind: send the city's COVID-19 positivity rate plummeting down to 5%.

In an update during his coronavirus briefing on Monday, Turner touted the city's large strides after Houstonians helped send the rate down from about 28% to 7.8%.

The mayor credited vigilant masking and social distancing methods, but he also cautioned the rate can easily go back up. And he still insisted on getting Houston down to the 5% goal.

As of Monday, Houston's cases reached 63,834 and 820 deaths.

The strides that the mayor touted will face another challenge as the city enters another month in the pandemic, pointing at another holiday weekend that typically sees large gatherings.

Aside from Labor Day, the mayor also looked ahead to flu season, telling reporters he plans to take a COVID-19 test and a flu shot.

And, finally, Turner urged his fellow Houstonians to give generously to those impacted by Hurricane Laura as part of a donation drive set for Tuesday at George R. Brown Convention Center.

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