By Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia
Dear Friend,
With 14 COVID-19 cases reported in the greater Houston area, including two in the City of Houston, and five in Harris County, the city and county are on high alert.
Thankfully, we are lucky to have some of the world’s smartest medical experts in the Houston area who are responding to these cases right now.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has declared an emergency health declaration for seven days. Houston City Council will vote in a week whether to extend declaration. All city events, produced, cosponsored and permitted, will be canceled for March and rescheduled in April. Harris County also declared a state of emergency.
During this time, here are the most important precautions to take:
• Wash your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. If you cough into a tissue or blow your nose, wash your hands after you throw away the tissue.
• If you are experiencing symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, seek medical advice promptly by calling ahead to a doctor or going to a medical provider to get guidance.
• Avoid touching your face, particularly eyes, nose, and mouth, with unwashed hands.
• Practice social distancing, ideally staying 6 feet away when you are in public places.
• Wipe down your phone and keys with a sanitizing wipe. Wipe down your car, steering wheel, and door handles.
In Congress, we’ve already moved quickly to pass emergency funding to boost the response of the federal, state, and local governments.
You can visit the CDC’s website for the latest coronavirus news and all that you need to know: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index. html. And for the latest local updates, please visit Texas’ Department of Health’s COVID-19 website www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus/
As always, take care of yourselves. Together, we will take care of our community.
Yours,
Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia