Bellaire - Meyerland - West University Edition | Jan. 2022

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Case counts Local cases and hospitalizations of COVID-19 in Harris County have been on the rise. ICU hospitalizations General bed hospitalizations

Courtroomchallenges The federal government has instituted a number of nationwide vaccine rules, but they have all been challenged by lawsuits that are ongoing.

Rules relating to:

Private companies Health care workers Federal contractors

SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT, SOUTHEAST TEXAS REGIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICESCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

Nov. 4: Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule announced for private sector companies with 100 or more employees Nov. 4: Rule announced for all health care companies paid by Medicare and Medicaid

Sept. 9: Rule announced for federal contractors

Nov. 9: Rule stayed by U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals

Nov. 19: 34 challenges to OSHA rule consolidated into one case before sixth circuit court

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COVID-19 Jan. 3, up from an average of 2,094 per day inmid-December. Mean- while, 401 new COVID-19 patients were admitted to TMC hospitals Jan. 3, up from 110 per day between Dec. 27-Jan. 2. It is unknown how many of the new cases are of the omicron variant, but estimates from the CDC for Region 6—which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, NewMexico and Louisiana— suggest about 86.7%of new cases were caused by the omicron variant. Variants in the coronavirus occur when there is a susceptible population and the virus replicates at a high level, said Dr. Pedro Piedra, a professor of molecular virology and microbiology at the Baylor College of Medicine. A mutation makes the virus more t to spread among the existing population, he said. The omicron variant—which was rst detected in Botswana and South Africa in November and was named a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization on Nov. 26—is still being studied by the CDC. As of press time Jan. 3, the CDC states the omicron variant likely spreads more easily than the original virus, but its infectious- ness as compared to the delta variant

of the onset of symptoms, the CDC announced Dec. 27 it was lowering the number of days an asymptomatic indi- vidual is recommended to quarantine from 10 days to 5 days. Omicronand theunknown After summer months brought waves of the delta coronavirus variant through Houston, pushing hospitals to the brink, the fall was marked by drops in all major metrics amid a rise in vaccinations and the release of the vaccine to children ages 5-11, according to data from the Harris County Public Health Department. Most notable were the drop in new cases and hospitalizations, which prompted Harris County ocials to lower the county’s threat level to yel- low in November, meaning the virus threat was moderate. That threat level was raised back to orange again in mid-December, but the advice— to minimize contacts and avoid gatherings—still only applies to the unvaccinated. Those declining case and hospital- ization trends started to show signs of reversing heading into the new year. More than 5,600 patients in the Texas Medical Center tested positive for

remains unknown. As research continues, the CDC said more data is also needed to know if omicron infections are more likely to result in severe illness or death com- pared to other variants. Vaccinepolicies The Houston Methodist Hospital System was the rst major employer to institute a vaccine mandate in the U.S., with the system announcing its mandate for all employees on March 31, 2021, and setting a deadline of June 7. In reaction to the mandate, employees led a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. However, that lawsuit was set- tled in Houston Methodist’s favor in June, and only 0.6% of its 26,000 employees—or 153 people—were red or resigned for refusing the vaccine. Another 118 employees were approved for a religious exemption; 193 were approved for medical exemptions, and 366 received pregnancy deferrals, CEO Mark Boon said. Following Methodist’s win in the courtroom, other Houston-area hos- pital systems, including Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Health System, instituted

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ocials continue to push strategies to lessen viral spread, with the largest emphasis on getting vaccinated. However, three rules announced by U.S. President Joe Biden in August requiring vaccines for dierent employment groups—intended as measures to control COVID-19—have been challenged in lawsuits. Meanwhile, the city of Houston has ramped up vaccine eorts, focusing on providing vaccines to children in the 5-11 age group as well as booster shots to the general public, including a Dec. 17 event hosted by the city in partner- ship with Texas Children’s Hospital. The city also opened two testing sites at Del Mar Stadium and Minute Maid Park in late December, oering 1,400 tests per day between them. “In addition to vaccination, boost- ers and masks, testing is another layer that can help protect us from COVID- 19,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “To meet the needs of increased demand for testing, the city will con- tinue to look for additional opportuni- ties ... into January.” Because the majority of COVID-19 transmission occurs within ve days

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