You’ve seen the headlines (and corresponding statistics) regarding New York City’s omicron surge, taking a toll on even almost-universally vaccinated places like Manhattan and Queens.
Imagine an incoming scenario where vaccination rates lag behind the national average and state politicians couldn’t care less about anything involving the latest COVID surge. Houston may face a long, dire battle with the omicron variant, arguably even tougher than many other places in the USA. As of this writing, 58.3% of Houston-area residents are fully vaccinated, compared to 61.7% of residents in the entire USA and 70.3% in the Tri-State area. But what may be an eye-opener is that several neighborhoods in and near Houston have vaccination rates below Harris County’s rate of 58.7%.
Less affluent areas like Sharpstown (77036, 77074) and Cypress Station (77090) have vaccination rates of roughly 49.8% and 42.6%, respectively, but places like Friendswood (77546), Kingwood (77339, 77345), Copperfield (77095), and Cypress (77429) have yet to surpass the national rate of 61.7%, either hovering around the county rate or just above it. In addition, suburbs like La Porte, Deer Park, Baytown, and Spring are lagging well behind the county rate, much less the national rate.
What is even more unsettling than the data alone? The fact that I witnessed a wave of unmasked people when going to grocery stores and many other crowded public places. Shopping malls like the Galleria and the Woodlands Mall are largely packed, with heavy vehicle traffic to accommodate it. This, when more than 90% of ICU beds in the Houston area are filled.
Plus, given that Texas, along with Florida, is a prime destination for people escaping COVID protocols, and the fact that the first omicron death in the USA occurred in Harris County…