- At least 60 residents of a luxury apartment complex in Houston have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the general manager told Daily Beast.
- However, a spokesman for the Houston Department of Health said the apartment complex is not a registered vaccine provider.
- The Texas Department of State Health Services map of local providers does not include the Montebello complex. It mainly shows the locations of hospitals, pharmacies and medical clinics.
- Government Greg Abbott has warned that a “significant portion” of vaccines do not reach vulnerable Texans.
- On Friday, Texas recorded a record number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
At least 60 residents of the luxury Montebello complex in Houston have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the Daily Beast.
Montebello general manager Daniel Hancock told the publication: “The state of Texas has approved it. We are working with a distributor … it is a blessing that we can get it.”
However, Hancock did not specify the name of the distributor.
Local health officials do not believe the state has approved the distribution effort for residents living on the luxury housing project.
A Houston Department of Health spokeswoman told the Daily Beast: “All distributors must register through the state health department. The apartment complex is not an approved provider. ‘
He added: “If a website is not approved, and is not on the list, and who receives the vaccine, we should not go to the website.”
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, Montebello is not on the registered list of COVID-19 vaccine providers.
The map of the department, which shows a list of approved locations, shows that the nearest vaccine provider to the apartment complex is a medical center 0.4 km away. Most of the places listed are hospitals, medical clinics and pharmacies – not residential buildings.
A 68-year-old resident of the complex, who described himself as “one of Houston’s premier luxury highs”, told the Daily Beast that he had been vaccinated there.
The manager of the complex said that the building is eligible for vaccines because it is home to many older residents.
While this apartment complex – where apartments are being sold for more than $ 3.5 million – has managed to gain access to shots, other vulnerable Texans could not be vaccinated.
“I could not find anyone who has the vaccine,” a man who meets the criteria to be vaccinated told CBS DFW. Michael Calder, a Dallas resident, said he called three providers to get a chance and that he was not successful in all respects.
Pharmacists across the state have also reported that doses are running low. “I had to turn down healthcare workers because we were running out,” a pharmacist from Wylie explained to the local broadcaster.
Texas officials have warned that vaccines may not reach the most vulnerable Texans.
Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted Tuesday that a “significant portion of vaccines in Texas could potentially sit on hospital shelves as opposed to vulnerable Texas.”
—Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) 29 December 2020
Abbot then called on suppliers to “give all shots quickly.”
Dr. John Hellerstedt, a health commissioner in Texas, also called on vaccine providers to move quickly.
In a message to the public, he writes: “All providers who have received COVID-19 vaccine should vaccinate health workers, Texans over 65 years of age, and people with medical conditions immediately … no vaccine should be kept in reserve not.”
According to the Texas Tribune, there are a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations in Texas.
The average positive percentage of seven days for COVID-19 tests exceeded 20%, which doubled the required level of 10% to declare a “red flag” situation.
On Friday, 12,369 new cases were reported in Texas.