5 things for Houstonians to know for Monday, Jan. 25
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1. 2 in 5 Americans live where COVID-19 strains hospital ICUs
Straining to handle record numbers of COVID-19 patients, hundreds of the nation’s intensive care units are running out of space and supplies and competing to hire temporary traveling nurses at soaring rates. Many of the facilities are clustered in the South and West.
An Associated Press analysis of federal hospital data shows that since November, the share of U.S. hospitals nearing the breaking point has doubled. More than 40% of Americans now live in areas running out of ICU space, with only 15% of beds still available.
Galveston County is prepared to administer up to 1,000 vaccines daily as it starts mass vaccination efforts in the area, according to Judge Mark Henry. The county has set up a drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site at Walter Hall Park in League City, which according to health authorities, has the highest rate of coronavirus infection in the area. They plan to begin vaccinations on Jan. 23 with those who have scheduled appointments through UTMB and.
Phone registration:
-People with disabilities: 832-393-5500.
Earlier this month, the department said a new waitlist specifically for the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was open for eligible Houston residents.
The department already had a vaccine waitlist for the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, but opted to open an additional waitlist for the J&J shot, which was approved by the FDA for emergency-use authorization over the weekend.
Both waitlists are available at
The vaccine waitlists are available for anyone in groups 1A, 1B and 1C under Texas Department of State Health Services criteria, including front-line health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities, individuals 65 years old and older, individuals 16 years old and older with certain medical conditions, and those people who are 50 and older regardless of health issues.
GALVESTON
Galveston County entered 2021 with COVID-19 spreading, reaching an infection rate last seen during the summer and forcing local hospitals to open extra space to accommodate patients.
But the countyâs top health official said there are indications the spread might be slowing.
âWhen I look at last weekâs numbers, I see a glimmer of hope,â said Dr. Phillip Keiser, Galveston Countyâs local health authority. âI donât know whether itâs me, or whether itâs real.â
Although the health district has been reporting more than 200 new cases a day recently, the rate of new cases appears to be slowing, Keiser said.