Dr. David Callender, president and CEO of Memorial Hermann, said vaccinated people can feel safe to go out and about this weekend while unvaccinated people should not travel or attend large gatherings since the majority of hospitalized COVID patients are unvaccinated.

The third wave of COVID-19 in Texas continues to tax the state's health care systems as health officials report 10,000 COVID-19 sufferers have been hospitalized for the first time since early February.

"This surge is by far the fastest and most aggressive that we've seen," said the health authority for Austin and Travis County, who urged eligible Texans to get vaccinated.

In the Texas Medical Center, and at more than a dozen hospitals throughout the greater Houston-Metro area, health officials say COVID-19 numbers are trending in the wrong direction.

Houston is currently on trend with the rest of the country with hospitalizations from COVID-19 being down.

Gee, who was last seen by family the day before she died, was in a complex whose power had been shut off during this week’s storm. “It really doesn’t take very low temperatures to put us in a difficult situation,” said Dr. David Callender, the president and CEO of the Memorial Hermann system. They are people who need dialysis or oxygen but they don’t have power at home or at the facility they usually visit. This week, Memorial Hermann saw more than 100 patients alone. “Unfortunately it sneaks up on us and there really aren’t obvious symptoms until we may be near unconsciousness,” he said.

HOUSTON – Health experts at Memorial Hermann Hospital and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center say they’re prepared for what may come in the next few weeks. “We certainly continue to ask for help from the people of greater Houston help us stop this disease. On Tuesday, the Texas Medical Center reported 4,515 new cases and 388 new hospitalizations. Several hospitals in our area already have plans in place if the numbers get worse. Both hospitals also have additional staff, agencies and traveling workers who are ready to help out.

One frontline worker in the Texas Medical Center is sharing her experience with the vaccine shot. Moderna trial volunteer Juan Antonio Sorto said he did experience fatigue and a fever after his second dose this past summer. “If I was one of the ones that received the placebo, then yes, I would be open to getting the actual vaccine,” Sorto said. And hopefully that will bring people some comfort.”The Houston doctor said she will receive her second dose in two weeks. Dr. Yancey said if a vaccine recipient does experience side effects that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

HOUSTON – The Texas Medical Center is hosting a briefing Tuesday that will provide an update on the vaccine rollout across the Texas Medical Center. Health experts said they’re concerned about the increasing cases in the area. Health experts said they saw the impact from Thanksgiving and believe the number of cases can continue to grow as families gather for the holidays. Families are encouraged to practice social distancing and take a COVID-19 test if planning to spend it with a “safe bubble” of people. Health experts have recommended patients talk to their doctor before taking the vaccine.

Several area hospitals received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and started the vaccination process. The first five recipients in Houston were from Memorial Hermann’s COVID ICU, emergency departments, an infectious disease doctor and a respiratory therapist. Memorial Hermann was slated to receive more than 16,000 doses. CEO and Director of Memorial Hermann Hospital Dr. David Callender said that he was pleased with the process and so far and everything has gone according to plan. Callender said that there have not been any reports of any issues and the first recipients are feeling well.

Here are things to know for Monday, Dec. 14:1. Houston-area hospitals prep to receive nearly 60,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine in coming daysHouston-area hospitals are making preparations to receive the first allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 60,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be distributed to hospitals in the coming days. Luckily for many, Congress in March quickly passed a $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief bill that allowed gig-workers and independent contractors to receive unemployment relief. In all, more than 619,000 independent contractors in Texas who lost work received benefits under the program Congress created, according to the commission.

HOUSTON – Houston-area hospitals are making preparations to receive the first allocation of the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 60,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be distributed to hospitals in the coming days. The decision on the number of doses was based on a survey of the number of COVID-19 patients treated, hospitalized and the number of employees treating patients with COVID-19, according to Memorial Hermann President Dr. David Callender. Twenty-one hospitals in Harris County, four in Montgomery County, one in Galveston County and one in Fort Bend County were selected to receive the vaccine. The Michael E. Debakey VA Medical Center was among those to be selected, including just one of the 37 VA hospitals picked.

HOUSTON – More than 220,000 vaccines are expected across the state next week beginning as early as Monday. Here in Houston, many hospitals are looking to vaccinate or than 1,000 healthcare workers per day. Houston area hospital plans for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution are being finalized as healthcare workers wait for FDA emergency approval. About 2,000 healthcare workers are expected to be vaccinated per day. Again vaccine distribution could start as early as next week.

HOUSTON – With a little more than a week to go until Thanksgiving, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner urged people Monday to forgo their usual travel and gatherings to mark the holiday. Turner said Houston’s total number of COVID-19 cases had climbed to 90,239 and the city’s total number of coronavirus-related deaths was at 1,398. “This virus thrives on gatherings,” Turner said. “Don’t invite COVID for Thanksgiving dinner,” Turner said. No Thanksgiving parade in Houston this yearTurner said the city’s normal Thanksgiving parade will not happen this year.

HOUSTON – Nearly eight months into the coronavirus pandemic, Houston and Harris County are experiencing a slight surge in new cases of COVID-19. In Houston and Harris County, there are more than 165,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. “We’ve seen the number of positive cases reported going up a bit. Dr. David Persse, the Chief Medical Officer for the city of Houston, says it’s too early to determine where the small uptick is coming from. To view the Harris County and Houston COVID-19 dashboard, visit here.

Overall, doctors stressed the importance of everyday safeguards: Mask-wearing, social distancing and cleaning in order to control the spread of COVID-19 in schools. Yet, doctors said contact tracing is also important when it comes to schools and controlling the spread of COVID-19. “I think schools are trying really hard,” Long said. But trying hard, Long continued, is equally dependent on steps being taken in the community to control spread. COVID-19 is still spreading,” Long added, citing a recent increase in reported cases in the Houston area.