Gathering for the holidays? Wear a mask and gather outside, Tarrant County health says
The holiday season has arrived, and with it has come an uptick in COVID-19 infections.
Public Health Director Vinny Taneja said there were concerns with the omicron variant and that another global wave was expected.
The new variant was moving faster than anticipated, according to a report from The Associated Press, and while vaccines are helping, they aren’t necessarily stopping the virus in its tracks. Other news reports have said boosters for Moderna and Pfizer helped increase effectiveness against omicron.
About 10% of Tarrant County residents are fully vaccinated with a booster shot, Taneja said Tuesday during his weekly update for county commissioners. Boosters for all vaccines became available in late October.
This week, the COVID-19 spread in Tarrant County jumped back up to ”high” spread, meaning there are more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents and that more than 10% of tests are coming back positive over a seven-day period. The level had fallen ”substantial” in early November.
Taneja advice as people gather and travel for the holidays? Wear a mask, hold events outside, get air moving if inside and wash your hands.
Taneja said his worry is less for fully vaccinated gatherings, but that the risk increases if the gathering is a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 4:37 PM.
