Over 50% of Texas’ senior citizens have gotten their coronavirus shots, Abbott says

Ninfa Saavedra, Digital Content Specialist

Published: March 8, 2021 at 9:15 PM

HOUSTON – More than 50% of the state’s senior citizens have now been vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to Gov. Greg Abbott.

The governor made the announcement Monday on Twitter just days before the state is set to lift capacity limits and the mask mandate March 10.

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Ahead of schedule, Texas now has given vaccine shots to more than 50% of seniors.

This is important because that age group represents the overwhelming majority of COVID hospitalizations & fatalities.

Both should continue to improve with increased vaccinations of seniors.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 8, 2021

In a number of tweets, Abbott also updated the state’s COVID-19 positivity rate, saying we’re down to 7.9%, the lowest in five months. He also added that hospitalization rates continue to decline at 4,721, which is the lowest since Oct. 19.

Covid hospitalizations declined again today

The positivity rate is the lowest since late September & has been on a downward trajectory for months.

The number of reported fatalities is the lowest in more than 2 months.

COVID has not gone away, but we can continue to crush it.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) March 8, 2021

Abbott said Texas is slated to receive more than 1.385 million COVID-19 vaccines this week and encouraged all seniors and educators to sign-up for one.