Fort Bend County raises COVID-19 community impact level to high

FORT BEND COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Local officials raised the COVID-19 community impact level to high on Tuesday due to surpassing the case threshold and the increased impact on local hospitals.

The video above is from a previous report: Americans keep getting reinfected with COVID-19 as new variants emerge, data shows

About 6% of staff inpatient hospital beds are occupied by COVID patients, according to the Fort Bend County Department of Health and Human Services.

FBCHHS said local data for the week ending on July 11 shows an average of 230 active cases per 100,000 residents.

A key determining metric for at-risk community levels, the current number exceeds the 200 cases per 100,000 thresholds that the CDC has put forth with its current guidelines.

According to the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council's Dashboard, Fort Bend County had an average of 12 new COVID hospitalizations per day over the past seven days, and this exceeds the less than 10 thresholds.

Officials urge residents to stay up to date on the COVID vaccine and boosters while following the guidelines recommended by the CDC to prevent the spread of the virus.

"Get vaccinated and stay up-to-date on recommended booster shots to protect yourself, your family, and friends," Fort Bend County Judge KP George said. "As always I believe in being transparent and informing our residents about any changes to our levels while encouraging them to continue to follow the CDC's guidelines and recommendations."

Call (281) 633-7795 to schedule an appointment to get a COVID test during the weekday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. or view the FBC COVID-19 testing and vaccination locations on their website.

You can also call the vaccination hotline (for questions only) at 832-471-1373.