HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner encouraged Houstonians Monday to follow health and safety protocols during the Thanksgiving weekend. Turner announced the city’s positivity rate and current COVID-19 cases ahead of the holiday weekend. Turner said the city’s positivity rate is now 8.8% -- last week it was 7.9%. Turner said the city’s original goal was to bring the positivity rate to 5%, but now, he’s only asking for residents’ help in not letting the rate continue to rise. The mayor is asking for Houstonians to not gather in large groups or to have Thanksgiving outdoors with immediate family members.

HOUSTON – The Houston Health Department said the city’s coronavirus test positivity rate has dropped to five percent. “This is a great achievement but we must continue the steps that got us here and drive the rate lower,” the department said in a tweet on Monday afternoon. “Things are trending in the right direction.”According to the health department’s tweet, the positivity rate was 6.9% on Sept. 18. “It does mean it’s less deadly than it was before. “Thank you Houston for helping us achieve a positivity rate of 5% by wearing your masks, social distancing and washing your hands,” Mayor Sylvester Turner wrote on Twitter.

HOUSTON Medical experts have no clear answers as to what is driving an increase in the positivity rate for COVID-19 in Texas. According to the Department of State Health Services, the positivity rate Friday was 16.79 percent in Texas. The positivity rate was steadily declining from that point but again started to climb at the beginning of August. According to the Department of State Health Services, the positivity rate Friday was 16.79 percent in Texas.a (KPRC)Hospital rate not keeping paceWhile the positivity rate continues to climb, the states hospitalization and ICU rates remain flat, even declining. State health officials said this is the first time Texas has gathered both positive and negative test results for viral and antibody tests.

People start thinking, Oh, its getting better, and then go back to the exact same behaviors that give the virus its advantage again, said Persse. Persse said this thinking is why were seeing a wave of cases far greater than what many thought was our peak of the virus in April. Positivity rate for COVID-19 in Houston (KPRC)Positivity rate for COVID-19 in Houston (KPRC)Positivity rate for COVID-19 in Houston (KPRC)Persse said part of this high percentage comes population density. Persse said regardless of whats driving the percentage, the numbers clearly show the virus is still circulating in the community. Persse said some models suggest it could be a month before seeing the virus numbers peak, it all depends on how Texans handle this latest surge in cases.