For the second-straight week, the daily average numbers of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations confirmed in the Texas Medical Center have decreased, according to the TMC’s Jan. 24 COVID-19 data update.

The COVID-19 effective reproduction rate, a measurement gauging whether the virus spread is increasing or decreasing, was at 0.74 last week, indicating a decrease in new coronavirus cases. Average daily cases dropped to 5,425 for the week of Jan. 25-31, down from last week’s 9,004-case average.

TMC hospitalizations have seen a similar decrease in new admittances. An average of 338 new patients per day were admitted for the week of Jan. 25-31, down from 400 new patients per day in the previous week.

TMC institutions administered an average of 1,598 vaccine doses per day. About 61% of Harris County residents are fully vaccinated, according to the Harris County Public Health Department.

The number of COVID-19-related deaths was more than four times higher among unvaccinated individuals than fully vaccinated individuals, according to new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collected between last April and December.