Fighting COVID- 19 During the Holiday Season
House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology
United States House of Representatives
We know that as a Nation, this coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has interrupted and impeded almost every facet of normal life. And, we recognize that this holiday season will be no different. Understanding there is a natural desire to end this long and stressful year by gathering with family and loved ones; however, we Texans must make sure that we remain safe during this COVID-19 public health crisis.
Never has our society faced a challenge such as this in modern history. These are truly unprecedented times. These times merit our relentless efforts to lessen and prevent the ongoing damages of the coronavirus. This past week, Texas became the first state in the United States to record more than 1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases – more than the state of California north of 998,000. Specifically, in Dallas County, we have experienced over 105,000 cases and 1,140 deaths. It is even more concerning that this pandemic is nowhere close to being over and is expected to significantly worsen during this winter season where we will compete with navigating both the cold and flu season.
What has been even more devastating to observe is the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities of color. During this pandemic, our families are forced to deal with alarming statistics – higher rates of comorbidities for our most vulnerable populations with pre-existing conditions, more barriers in accessing medical care and testing as well as worse health outcomes to include higher mortality rates due to this virus.
Because of this, we must approach this holiday season with care and common sense. Further, as good neighbors, we must continue to socially distance, wear CDC-approved masks, and get our flu shots. We must make sure that we do not endanger vulnerable members of our communities – including our seniors, young children, and those who are pre-disposed to contracting COVID – with inadvertent exposure to this virus.
Every day, our nation sees the need for further action to combat this global public health crisis. As your Congressional Representative and former bedside Nurse, I implore you to join me in observing a safe and socially distant holiday season, so that everyone in our communities can survive to celebrate for many years to come. For information and resources on COVID-19, please visit my website at https://ebjohnson.house.gov/.
