League City mayor out of ICU in COVID-19 recovery

LEAGUE CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- League City Mayor Pat Hallisey is making strides in his recovery from COVID-19.

The city posted an update Thursday afternoon that Hallisey has tested negative from the virus and has been transferred out of the intensive care unit.

Hallisey is now in rehabilitation.

In mid-November, Hallisey presided over a city council meeting. He also attended a Veteran's Day ceremony and a groundbreaking at the College of the Mainland. But a few days later, on Nov. 16, Hallisey felt sick and tested positive for coronavirus. All staff members who were with him tested negative. He wore masks at the events but took off his mask to conduct the council meeting. He was hospitalized at the time, and because of low oxygen, transferred to intensive care.

"Having a nurse dedicated and assigned to you one on one, they felt it was better to put him into ICU to make sure that he's keeping that oxygen on and it's staying consistent," said city spokesperson Sarah Greer Osborne.

Hallisey's wife also tested positive for COVID-19, but was able to recover from home.

There is unique concern for the mayor because of his preexisting conditions. He had pneumonia last year, and you may remember that in late 2017, he suffered a heart attack after Hurricane Harvey. Lack of blood flow nearly killed him and he lost a leg, but doctors saved him. His vascular surgeon told ABC13's Tom Abrahams, much of the credit went to the mayor.

SEE RELATED STORY: League City mayor's family gives update after heart attack

"I think what made the difference was his constitution and his determination to get well, to stay alive," Dr. Hazim Safi told ABC13 in November 2017.

The video above is from our previous reporting on Hallisey's COVID-19 diagnosis.