'Stay off the roads': Mayor Turner outlines plan for severe weather

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Mayor Sylvester Turner toured a new COVID-19 vaccination site in southeast Houston Saturday afternoon in an ongoing discussion about the unequal distribution of COVID-19 doses across the city.

SEE RELATED: Mayor Turner lays out 2-step plan to fight vaccine inequity within Houston minority groups

Turner toured the Harris Health System's Gulfgate Health Center, where he addressed the disparities in high-risk, vulnerable, disadvantaged and underserved communities due to the lack of resources.

SEE RELATED: Data shows which Houston neighborhoods have more access to COVID-19 vaccine

He was joined by other community leaders to discuss the state's distribution of COVID-19 vaccination supplies.

Adding a new vaccination site in southeast Houston is part of Turner's plan to be more "intentional and directional" with where they distribute COVID-19 vaccines.

Despite the cold weather, Turner said people are showing up to the vaccine sites.

"The reality is, if you make it available, people in every community will show up and I'm specifically talking about communities of color," he said.

Across the country, the CDC data shows that, compared to whites, Hispanics are 1.7 times more likely to get COVID-19, four times more likely to end up in the hospital, and almost three times as likely to die.

Turner reported that as of Saturday, there are 1,096 new cases of COVID-19 in the city of Houston.

"We're dealing with fighting COVID, but at the same time we're fighting the cold," he said. "Let me encourage people to check on the seniors."

He asked that for those people who know seniors who are living by themselves and haven't wrapped their outside pipes, to extend a helping hand.

Turner also warned against space heaters. He advised people not to go to sleep with them on and to make sure to keep them away from any curtains.

Another thing he warned against was letting pipes drip. He said that if everyone turns their faucets on, it'll lower the water pressure. This could be a problem if there happens to be a fire and the Houston Fire Department needs to put it out.

Starting Sunday evening, Turner asks everyone to stay off the roads.

"If you need to go to the grocery store, do it today. All of the chores you need to handle, do it today or tomorrow during the day," he said.

SEE RELATED: How access paired with distrust is impacting Hispanic communities getting COVID-19 vaccine