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Posts published in “Day: May 7, 2020”

Local Free Food programs serve Pct. 2

May 7, 2020
Constable Sherman Eagleton and deputies gave away brisket tacos last Thursday at Frank’s Collision Repair just South of US 90 on FM 2100. The barbecue was cooked right outside the shop.

HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 2 – Harris County Precinct 2 has three programs to distribute food to those that need it on a first come first serve basis.

The first thing to know is that most of the Harris County Community Centers have been closed unless there is a special program going on at one of them. For example, who knew they were testing for Covid-19 at the Crosby Community Center last weekend? The only centers still open are those that are centrally located within Precinct 2 such as Barrett Community Center, and J.D. Walker Community Center. They are servicing Highlands and Crosby and Huffman, to obtain food in the drive through programs.

Free Food Programs include the Senior Homebound Food Distribution Programs where about 300 meals are taken to the resident’s home a day if the senior registers online or by telephone and they are accepted.

“Secondly, we are doing what we call brown bag lunches at Community Centers on Mondays and Wednesdays and at our three parks on Tuesday and Thursdays on a weekly basis,” said Frida Villalobos, who heads the programs for Commissioner Adrian Garcia.

“On Fridays we are offering ‘Free Hot Meals’ at our Community Centers. We are contracting with local restaurants at the five community centers. So, each community center is offering 200 meals, so each business gets the opportunity to bid for the project and then they bring the food and families can come on a first come first serve basis and they get their meal,” concluded Villalobos.

The registration website is hcp2.com and the telephone number for those lacking internet is (713) 274-2222. Also on social media on the Precinct 2 page, there is constant updating for changes and opportunity.

As Governor Abbott expands opening of businesses, virus deaths increase

May 7, 2020
Sheila Jackson Lee, right, announces the seventh free drive-thru virus testing site, with the cooperation of UMMC, United Memorial Medical Center. The site is at Griggs Primary school, 801 Regional Park Drive, in the Greenspoint area. No screening is required, this is a drive-thru or walk-thru site. Speaking at the opening is Aldine superintendent LaTonya Goffney.

Health officials want more testing, more tracking

HARRIS COUNTY – Two new sites for testing of the COVID-19 virus opened last week and this week, as health officials said that more tests are required to combat a rise in the count of affected persons and those who have died.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has led the effort for the last two months to get more test sites, and she was present for the opening of these two sites, along with Dr. Joseph Varon, the president of UMMC, the United Memorial Medical Center, who has been providing the medical personnel and tests for these free sites.

While the medical profession is calling for more test sites, and warning that the virus pandemic is not contained or under control, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has expanded his order to open businesses to the public. On Tuesday, May 5th he added hair and nail salons, wedding venues, tanning salons, swimming pools, and on May 18 office buildings and gyms may open, with appropriate restrictions on distances. The order also allows non-essential manufacturing to open.

Abbott originally said that Phased openings would depend upon the rate of infections and deaths from the virus decreasing, but data from last week indicates that Harris County and the state of Texas had its highest number of deaths since the epidemic started. The governor did not comment on his decision to enlarge the opening of businesses, except to note that Texas has one of the lower per capita death rates in the nation.

Last week Abbott had issued an order that restaurants, retail stores, malls, movie theaters, museums and libraries, and churches were allowed to open, but had to observe a 25% occupancy limit.

The press conference also proposed four methods for high schools to hold graduation ceremonies in lieu of traditional indoor assemblies.

The seventh drive-thru free public site opened last week at the Griggs Primary School in the Greenspoint district, at 801 Regional Park Drive. This site is run by UMMC, or United Memorial Medical Center, and will remain open as long as there is a need, said Jackson Lee.