Lake Houston area COVID-19 cases and deaths are inching closer to metrics that could initiate district-wide in-person closure, according to data from the Humble ISD coronavirus dashboard.

The district remains in the caution category based on the weighted scale on it’s coronavirus dashboard. Humble ISD is only 0.2 points away from their district-wide, district-initiated closure category that would lead back to online-only schooling. The weighted scale features three categories — District Open 100% for all students or green, District-Wide Caution or Yellow and District-Wide District Initiated Closure or red.

Humble ISD reported 301 active student cases (0.86 percent) and 134 active staff cases (1.79 percent) as of Jan. 12. There have been a total of 1,048 student cases and 486 staff cases since public reporting began on Aug. 11.

COVID-19: Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

The district continues to offer free COVID-19 testing for eligible students and staff through a 24 Hour Covid RT-PCR Laboratory. The two sites include one in Kingwood at 22751 Professional Drive behind HCA Kingwood Medical Center and another in Atascocita at 18321 W. Lake Houston Parkway, behind Iguana Joe’s.

Students who have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with a positive COVID-19 test will have access to a telemedicine consultation and diagnostic lab test with no out of pocket costs due to the CARES Act. Students without symptoms or who aren’t identified as a close contact will be required to pay $139.

More Information

Data on the coronavirus as of Jan. 5 from Harris County Public Health can be viewed by zip code. These zip codes cover the Lake Houston area.

77396

3471 confirmed cases

637 active cases

2805 recovered cases

29 deaths

77346

3496 confirmed cases

668 active cases

2801 recovered cases

27 deaths

77338

2650 confirmed cases

518 active cases

2079 recovered cases

51 deaths

77339

739 confirmed cases

101 active cases

614 recovered cases

24 deaths

77345

390 confirmed cases

56 active cases

332 recovered cases

2 deaths

77044

3008 confirmed cases

452 active cases

2536 recovered

20 deaths

Totals

July 31: Total: 2,928 cases, 51 deaths

Aug 31: 4,572 confirmed cases, 80 deaths

Oct. 26: 7,818 confirmed cases, 116 deaths

Nov. 24: 9,127 confirmed cases, 129 deaths

Dec. 30: 11,878 confirmed cases, 143 deaths

Jan. 12: 13,754 confirmed cases, 153 deaths

A testing center through the City of Houston has also rotated back to Kingwood this week. The free testing site at the Kingwood Community Center, 4102 Rustic Woods Drive, only has a daily capacity of 250 tests and no appointment is required. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as a drive-thru, self-nasal swab site.

By Jan. 12, there were 13,754 confirmed cases and 153 deaths in the Lake Houston area zip codes according to data from Harris County Public Health. The Observer has defined the Lake Houston area’s zip codes as 77044, 77396, 77345, 77346, 77339 and 77338.

Texas reached 1,985,830 cases and 30,521 deaths according to the Houston Chronicle data team on the evening of Jan. 11.

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In Texas, the number of hospitalizations has also increased by more than 23 percent for lab-confirmed COVID-19 since Dec. 25, 2020, according to the Houston Chronicle data team. The data team also found that high hospitalizations, or those with COVID-19 hospitalizations over 15 percent of the total hospital capacity, are also being reported for the 13th day straight in Houston as of Monday evening.

For free testing locations, visit the Harris County Public Health website here. As was reported last week, Harris County Public Health has been distributing a limited number of vaccines to people within the Tier 1A and 1B designation. To view a map of provider locations, visit the interactive website here.