The Houston region set a record on Saturday for the number of COVID-19 patients needing intensive care, hospital records show, although the total number of admitted patients decreased for the third consecutive day.
In the 25-county region anchored by Harris County, 1,136 COVID patients were in beds in the ICU, according to the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council database, an 11 percent jump from Friday. The total number of those hospitalized with the virus fell to 3,727.
Health experts and public health officials are pleased with the leveling of hospitalizations in the past week. The figure is still high and will need to be significantly reduced to improve contract search efforts. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo are asking for a second period of home stay so that the virus is back under control.
However, there are still worrying signs. The Texas Medical Center remains above its 100% basic ICU capacity due to COVID patients.
Texas set a record for COVID hospitalizations Saturday with 10,658. The state reported 753 deaths in the past week, its worst seven-day period since the pandemic hit the state in March.
Galveston County reported seven deaths Saturday, the highest single-day total of the pandemic.
