At a press conference at Houston City Hall on March 11, during which the remainder of the Houston Rodeo events and other March events were canceled, Mayor Sylvester Turner said he urges the public not to panic.
"I do want to re-emphasize, this is not a time for people to panic or be fearful," Turner said. "I want people to understand, the decisions that we have made for today in relation to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo was not just made in a vacuum by the county judge or the county or the city. We have had these conversations with the Texas Medical Center with almost all of the CEOs of the hospitals in the medical center, and I can rightfully say to you we are all on the same page. The No. 1 concern is to do everything we can to maintain the health and safety of the people in our region."
Although city of Houston officials are taking steps to prevent large-scale events from happening, Montgomery and Fort Bend counties have not canceled any upcoming events. The city of Sugar Land is still planning to host its annual Kite Festival and Holi Festival this month, according to city officials. County officials are continuing to monitor the situation.
“We understand the enormous impact these events have on our community as a whole, so a decision to cancel a large event will not be taken lightly," Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough said in a release from the Montgomery County Public Health District. "We are currently monitoring this rapidly changing situation and are looking to our medical community for guidance. At this time, the recommendation is not to cancel community events.”
For more information on coronavirus questions, residents are encouraged to contact local authorities. Most counties in the Greater Houston area have call centers activated to address any questions or needs that arise as this develops.
Houston Health Department
832-393-4220
Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m-3 p.m.
www.houstonemergency.org
Harris County Public Health
713-439-6000
9 a.m.-7 p.m. daily
www.hcphtx.org
Fort Bend County Health and Human Services
281-633-7795
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
www.fbchealth,org
Montgomery County Public Health District
936-523-5020
Mon.-Thu. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. 8 a.m.-noon, closed daily noon-1 p.m.
www.mcphd.org
Galveston County Health District
409-938-7221
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
www.gchd.org
Texas Department of State Health Services
877-570-9779
Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
https://dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus
