VICTORIA, Texas- The City and County of Victoria are prepared for further restrictions to come into effect if our local COVID-19 hospitalization rate exceeds 15% for a seventh day. The Office of Emergency Management announced this in a statement to Crossroads Today Wednesday.
Victoria’s hospital region, Trauma Service Area – S, will be subject to restrictions established in Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA-32, which limits occupancy and operating limits for non-essential businesses in areas with high hospitalization rates. Once the 15% threshold is exceeded for seven days, non-essential businesses – or businesses not listed on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce Document, Version 4.0 – will be required to further decrease their occupancy levels from 75% to 50%.
In addition, some businesses will no longer be able to render services to the community, and all hospitals will be required to suspend surgeries that are not medically necessary. Under state orders, these restrictions will remain in place until the Victoria hospital area’s COVID-19 capacity falls below the Governor’s threshold of 15% for seven consecutive days. To reach that point, everyone will need to do their part to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The community is strongly encouraged to follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help ensure that these further state restrictions do not continue to impede our community’s business operations. These include wearing facial coverings; avoiding large gatherings; and practicing hygiene measures such as frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and avoiding contact with people who are sick. As we approach the New Year holiday, residents are reminded to wear facial coverings and practice social distancing measures around those outside of their households and consider limiting the size of holiday gatherings or celebrating only with household members.
Victoria City and County officials, including the mayor and judge, emergency response officials, and area hospitals, continue to work together to meet the needs of the community, inform business owners about state regulations and provide logistical support to Victoria’s area health care facilities.
The COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna are currently being distributed in our region under the state’s tiered distribution system that prioritizes emergency service providers, health care workers treating COVID-19 patients, and others with an increased risk of coming into contact with the virus. The vaccines are expected to become available to the general public in 2021. Residents who are eligible to receive the vaccine are encouraged to do so to protect themselves and others.
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