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Dear Neighbor,
Happy New Year! 2021 brings new promise and opportunity. It also brings us a new Congress. I was honored and proud to be sworn in to represent our district today in the 117th United States Congress.
In this new year, and in this new Congress, my priority remains the same: bringing the voice of our community to Congress and working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address the challenges before us. I will continue to work every day to improve the lives of the people in our district and across our country in partnership with our community.
While I look forward to all we will do in the 117th Congress, I am also glad to look back on the work our team has been able to accomplish over the past year. In the face of new challenges, we worked tirelessly to protect the health, security, and well-being of our district. We also continued our work on matters of importance to our community—from our health care to our economy to our infrastructure.
I am glad share an overview of our work in my 2020 Annual Report, which you can view and download here.
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COVID-19 continues to spread in our community and our state at concerning rates. The positive test rate statewide is at approximately 20 percent, and the positivity rate in our community at 14.1 percent. Hospitalizations for the virus continue to increase and place added strain to our health care providers. While this latest surge has been centered in the El Paso, Lubbock, Amarillo and the Big Bend region, Harris County has had the highest total number of confirmed cases at 21,945 over the past 14 days. It is critical that we continue to do our part to stop the spread of the virus to help protect everyone’s health even as vaccines provide new hope in the battle against COVID-19.
Across Texas, 773,000 doses of the vaccine have been distributed. In Harris County, 15,475 people have received the vaccine. At this time, Harris County is only providing a vaccine for health care workers, people over 65, or those with underlying health conditions. On Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health released a map showing locations of COVID-19 vaccine providers, but with limited availability of the vaccine, an appointment will still be needed for those who eligible.
As we wait for vaccines to be distributed, getting a COVID-19 test continues to be one of the best tools we have to stop the spread of the virus. More than 25 percent people who have tested positive for COVID-19 are asymptomatic. If you need a test, visit: http://covidcheck.hctx.net or call 832-927-7575 to schedule an appointment with Harris County Public Health.
I am glad to provide weekly updates on my work in our community and my work in Washington—and I look forward to continuing to do so this year. Please remember that I am here to represent you and to help you in any way I can. You can contact me and my team at any time by emailing here or by calling (713) 353-8680. I look forward to hearing from you!
Best wishes,
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