As of March 25, 2020 (3:00 p.m.), Harris County Public Health (HCPH) has 40 new cases of COVID-19, which brings the total to 119 positive cases, including one COVID-19 related death, reported on March 19, 2020. HCPH is also confirming that 13 of our patients have recovered. These new cases do not include those within the City of Houston.
Harris County Public Health updates our case counts daily at 3:00 p.m. and keeps an ongoing list of case statuses on our website. For the complete list of Harris County confirmed case information with status details, please visit http://www.hcphtx.org/Resources/2019-Novel-Coronavirus/Harris-County-COVID-19-Confirmed-Cases.
Harris County now has multiple cases without travel history and we do not know the source of transmission. This implies that COVID-19 is spreading in our community. Community spread makes it harder to identify and contain the virus since anyone can become infected. We need the public’s help to prevent further community spread. Public health officials urge our residents to strictly follow the guidance provided March 24, 2020 by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner until April 3, 2020 (unless otherwise noted):
- Individuals living within Harris County are ordered to stay at their place of residence except for essential activities
Gyms, fitness centers, swimming pools and other facilities that are used or intended to be used for any type of training, martial arts, sport or recreation shall close
Hair and nail salons, spas, licensed massage businesses and tattoo parlors, concert halls, live performance theaters, arenas, stadiums, movie theaters, game rooms, bowling alleys, arcades, indoor and outdoor flea markets and swap meets, indoor malls, indoor shopping centers, and bingo halls shall close - All individuals should practice social distancing if they have to be around other people
- Individuals may go to public parks and open outdoor recreation areas. However, public playgrounds may increase spread of COVID-19 and, therefore, shall be closed
- Restaurants can only serve food for take-out, delivery and drive-thru
- All gatherings should be cancelled or postponed
For the complete guidance order from Harris County Judge, please visit https://www.readyharris.org/Stay-Home
Harris County Public Health and the Houston Health Department have opened testing sites to the general public. For more information and to see whether you may need further assessment or need to be test for #COVID19, please visit https://covcheck.hctx.net/
Please note, as testing capacity increases, so will the daily case counts. While 80% of individuals who contract COVID-19 will have mild to moderate symptoms and fully recover, they may spread the disease to people who are at high risk. High-risk populations are the elderly, those with underlying health conditions and compromised immune systems. Remember, washing your hands is the best way to protect yourself, your family and your community.
Visit www.readyharris.or and www.hcphtx.org\COVID-19 to learn more about Coronavirus, its symptoms, and how you can help stop the spread.
*HCPH case count updates will be released daily at 3:00 p.m.