Statement from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Governor Abbott’s Reopening Plans

HARRIS COUNTY, TX - County Judge Lina Hidalgo today issued the following statement in response to reopening plans announced by Governor Abbott:

“Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of our residents, trends are moving in the right direction, but we cannot let our guard down and we are not out of the woods. There isn’t a single person in Harris County who wants our businesses, schools or other facets of daily life to remain closed longer than they need to, but this virus hasn’t gone away and my commitment to the residents is to ensure the County’s position reflects responsible steps that must be taken for a sustainable new normal.

We continue keeping close track of the numbers in Harris County and are consulting with public health experts on the county’s guidance for the community. In the meantime, we are encouraged that Governor Abbott is adhering to a numbers-based threshold to guide his decision-making (a 15% COVID positive hospitalization threshold) and that he has agreed to provide certain jurisdictions carve outs.”