Texas seeing the effects of holiday travelling, vaccines available

Weeks after the holidays, the State of Texas is seeing the effects of so many traveling and gathering. 

Each of the past two weeks, corresponding with the weeks of Christmas and New Years, has seen a midweek spike in cases. This week in Falls County alone, there were an additional 56 cases in the span of three days.

The county has seen more than 1,200 cases total, but only had about 150 active on Monday. There have been an additional three deaths this month, taking the body count up to 22 for Falls.

On Wednesday, Jan. 13, Texas reported more than 400 COVID-19 deaths, a first, as well as nearly breaking the record for new daily cases.

A total of 405 fatalities were linked to COVID-19 that day, the most since Jan. 7, where there had been 393 deaths. These days coincide with being less than two weeks since the aforementioned holidays.

Texas is ranked third in the U.S. behind New York and California in number of deaths. Both California and Texas, the two most populous states in the US, revealed that they are both steadily climbing past 31,000 fatalities.

The number of people in Texas hospitals with coronavirus is reaching alarming rates. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has stated that he is “greatly concerned” that there are so few beds available in certain areas. Hospitals in the Abilene, Bryan-College Station and Laredo areas have run out of intensive care unit beds. Trauma Service Area M, which includes Falls County has beds available, but TSA is still under local occupancy restrictions due to having low space.

Vaccines for the virus continue to be distributed, with additional doses being sent to providers each week.  DSHS in Marlin was delivered 300 Moderna vaccines, as well as numerous providers in the Waco area. 

Vaccines are still being administered to those in Phase 1, which includes health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, people 65 and older and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. It is not yet known when the vaccine will be widely available to the public, as there must be follow-up doses to institute a full regimen on those who have already received it.

If you think you may qualify to receive a vaccine, reach out to your provider to double check then head to www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus/immunize/vaccine to learn more about the options available to you.