The lowering was announced in a March 10 press release and was put into effect by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo due to the declining number of positive cases and hospitalizations.
Level 3 signifies a moderate but controlled level of the virus, while a Level 2 threat signifies a significant risk of the virus. Individuals who are unvaccinated are still being encouraged to mask and physically distance themselves while those who are fully vaccinated are encouraged to do so when required by law.
Even if someone is fully vaccinated, they are encouraged to self-isolate if they believe they have been exposed to the virus until they receive a negative test result.
“My hope is that we are at a permanent turning point of this pandemic,” Hidalgo said in the March 10 press release. “But we’ve yet to have a wave where our hospitals don’t get overwhelmed, so we need to tread with caution before we declare victory over this virus.”
