COVID-19 in Houston: British variant found in 31 of 39 water treatment plants, says city

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – According to dr. Houston Health Authority David Persse said the British variant was found “in large quantities” and was spreading rapidly through the city.

He said the British variant was found on February 8 in 21 of the city’s 39 wastewater treatment plants. Fourteen days later, on February 22, he said the variant was found in 31 out of 39 treatment plants.

“19% of all viruses tested in wastewater in the city have the genome corresponding to the British variant,” Persse said. “It does not mean that 19% of the people in Houston are infected with the British variant … it does not mean that we know that there is a fairly large amount of the British variant in our community and that it is spreading.”

WHAT ABOUT OTHER VARIANTS?

Presses said on Monday afternoon that the wastewater is being tested for other COVID-19 variants, such as the Brazilian and South African variants.

However, the measurements were not completed, and therefore no new data was available to report, Persse said.

“We are concerned that people are lowering their guard and not wearing their masks and meeting in a way they do not want to,” he said. “Remember, the British variant is the one that spreads much more easily. Those viruses are in the community. Therefore, the race is underway to get as many people vaccinated as possible before the British variant is able to take over and us again.” to give another boost »

NEW NUMBERS

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday afternoon the city’s positivity rate is now 13.1%, up from last week.

The city’s health department said it was the second consecutive week in which the positivity rate had risen slightly.

In addition, the city reported 318 new cases of coronavirus, which totals 175,150. The death toll now stands at 2,018.

‘We are still making progress [and] to get people vaccinated, but we are not nearly landing herd immunity, ”Turner said.

“GLIMPER OF HOPE”

Texas is open two days away from ‘100%’, but Turner offered what he described as a glimmer of hope.

Turner said during his briefing Monday that the owner of Concrete Cowboy, a popular Houston bar in Washington Avenue, wrote an email to Turner letting him know that a planned party for a mask had been canceled.

“It was never our intention to host a party where we encourage customers not to wear a mask,” reads the email Turner read during his lecture. “I am a business owner of several locations in the Washington corridor and public safety is our biggest concern.”

READ MORE: Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner wants planned ‘maskless parties’ to be canceled at pubs

The mask-mandate of Texas and the various “mask-off parties” have raised concerns about other similar events from other states that have come to Texas. Turner said promoters in states that are not allowed to act 100% and are forced to wear a mask promote the fact that the events are being brought to cities like Houston, Dallas and Austin.

Turner said Concrete Cowboy will not be open Wednesday night.

“This is not the time to drop our masks or drop our guard in the fight against the pandemic,” Turner said.