Texas Medical Center releases tips to prevent COVID-19 during holidays

A surge of new confirmed COVID-19 cases emerged in December with concerns directed at the increased travel that occurs during the holiday season.

The Texas Medical Center’s first recommendation is to get vaccinated.

“Get your booster shot before the holidays,” said Jan Patterson, a member of Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Task Force, in a press release. “This will provide you and your family the best protection against COVID-19 and the omicron variant.”

Roughly 58% of Harris County has been fully vaccinated, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Additionally, the Texas Medical Center recommends anyone who has not received a booster to test before going to any gathering, wear a mask in crowded places and to hold gatherings outside or leave windows open “when possible.”

More than 25,000 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the last 28 days in Harris County, according to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center; just under 200 COVID-19-related deaths have been recorded in that same time.