The Woodlands Township COVID-19 Update, Thursday, October 15, 2020

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- As The Woodlands Township reopens to the public, new temperature-screening kiosks are being installed in several Township facilities. Members of the public as well as employees will be required to be screened prior to entering. The current schedule calls for the Township Town Hall to reopen to the public on October 19, 2020. View video ofChairman Bunch at the wellness checkpoint at The Woodlands Township Townhall.

County News
Montgomery County COVID-19 Case Count October 15, 2020
Montgomery County Public Health District, in conjunction with the Montgomery County Office
of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, can confirm the following update related
to COVID-19.

• TOTAL cases of COVID-19 increased by 156 to 12,747 since yesterday’s (10/14) report.
All cases were tested in the month of October.

• ACTIVE cases of COVID-19 increased by 121 to 1,917 since yesterday’s (10/14) report.

• 34 residents are known, as a result of contact investigations, to be in the hospital.
Contact investigations have not been initiated on all reported cases.

• 8,272 people have clinically recovered.

*These numbers include PCR and rapid antigen testing. Antibody testing results are not
included. Have questions? Please go to https://mcphd-tx.org/ and scroll down to the FAQs

You can find more information on the SETRAC website.

Take steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.

•If your children have started in-person school, teach them proper hygiene and the correct way to wear a mask. Encourage them to never share masks with others.

•Consider staying home unless it is necessary to leave your home.

•Avoid groups of people.

•Practice social distancing.

•Wear a mask (if it is necessary to leave your home).

•Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently.

•Disinfect surfaces in your car and around your home.

You can view the case-by-case updates on the MCPHD website here. You can refer to the
dashboard here.

Harris County COVID-19 Case Count
Harris County Public Health (HCPH) publishes their daily case count, combined with the City of Houston's daily case count, here. Cases by zip code in Harris County can be found by clicking on areas of the map.

The Village of Creekside Park is located in two zip codes: 77375 and 77389, and these also include Magnolia, Augusta Pines/Auburn Lakes/West Rayford Road in northwest Harris County. Today, Harris County is reporting zip code 77375 has 1,261 confirmed positive cases with 76 active cases, and 77389 has 658 confirmed positive cases with 32 active cases.

COVID-19 Case Count Brief from The Woodlands Fire Department
As of Thursday, October 15, 2020, + or – signifies change since previous report.

Montgomery County

12,747 – Confirmed, +156 (All tested in October)

1,917 – Active Cases, +121

144 – Deaths, No Change

8,272 – Recovered, +35

34 – Hospitalized, +4

Harris County

73,123 – Confirmed, +130

3,167 – Active Cases, -33

844 – Deaths, +4

69,105 – Recovered, +159

Get Tested for COVID-19
Montgomery County residents may sign up online for Free COVID-19 testing at
https://www.mchd-tx.org. Call 936-523-3916 for more information.

Harris County residents may also sign up for free COVID-19 testing online at hcphtx.org. Call 832-927-7575 for more information.

State and National News
Governor Announces COVID-19 Rapid Testing Pilot Program for Schools Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) yesterday announced the creation of a COVID-19 Rapid Testing Pilot Program for Texas school systems. This program will help schools conduct rapid tests of district employees and students — with the written permission of their parents — to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on campuses. Through this pilot program, TDEM will provide participating school systems with COVID-19 rapid antigen tests that will be administered to students, teachers, and staff who choose to participate. Read the full press release.

Steps to Take During Halloween and Other Halloween Activities
Traditional Halloween activities are fun, but some can increase the risk of getting or spreading COVID-19 or influenza. Take steps to protect yourself from getting or spreading COVID-19 such as, wearing a cloth mask, while indoors and outdoors, stay at least 6 feet away from others who do not live with you and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer frequently. Read more from the CDC

The Federal Trade Commission Chairman is Not Writing to You
If you saw an email from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Joseph Simons, it
wasn’t. From him, that is. Scammers pretending to be him are emailing, though. If you get an email from the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission about getting money because of an inheritance or relief funds related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic — or anything else — do not respond. Read the full article.

It’s a Good Time to Get Your Flu Vaccine
While the United States remains focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to also be aware of flu season as we approach winter. Flu viruses typically spread in fall and winter, with activity peaking between December and February. Getting vaccinated now can lower your chances of getting the flu.

Flu (influenza) is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death. The flu vaccines approved by the FDA provide important benefits and are your best defense from flu and its potential complications. Learn more from the FDA.

Travel Confidently this Fall
A healthy and safe travel experience is a shared responsibility. When we all do our part, we can all #TravelConfidently. Join travel businesses across the industry and commit to doing your part to provide a safe travel experience. Watch a short video on traveling safely during the pandemic and learn more from the U.S. Travel Association.

Staying Safe in Public: Social Bubbles
Social bubbles offer an opportunity to socialize in close proximity with a small group of people. A social bubble is a group of people who treat each other as safe or low risk.
People in the social bubble will have regular contact with each other and will take precautions with others outside of the social bubble. Keep your social bubble to 10 or fewer can help reduce exposure to COVID-19. The ideal social bubble should only include members of your household.

Community Resources
Numerous resources are available in the community for support. These vary from food banks to financial assistance and much more. Please visit the Community Resources webpage to find more information about resources in the community related to COVID-19.

Community Assistance Center Saturday Market
The Montgomery County Community Assistance Center, along with the Montgomery County
Foodbank and Interfaith Community Clinic, will host a Saturday Market on October 31, 2020, beginning at 8 a.m. The market is located at 1022 McCall Ave. and includes free flu shots and groceries, while supplies last. For more information, please visit their website.

The Woodlands Township COVID-19 eNewsletter
The Woodlands Township COVID-19 (Coronavirus) informational enewsletter will now be
published every Tuesday and Thursday and as needed. Manage your notifications andsubscriptions.


Township’s Coronavirus Page
The Woodlands Township’s COVID-19 page can be found at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/covid19. This page features Montgomery and Harris county hubs, community resources and news from the Federal Government and the CDC. It also includes the latest news from the Township, partner agencies, important links, FAQs, live Twitter feeds and more.

Stay Connected
Please stay connected to The Woodlands Township through our many communications channels. Learn more and sign up at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/stayinformed.

Stay Informed with The Woodlands Township

Sign up for news and alerts from the Township at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/notifyme. During a weather-related event, additional information can be found at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/emergency.