Tag Archives: vaccinations

“Normal” bus service is on the horizon

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Isn’t it great to imagine the return of “normal”? It’s coming for Metro riders. Having sharply reduced service and staffing during the pandemic, Metro officials now are readying for higher demand when school populations return to normal and downtown businesses … Continue reading →

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How fast was too fast?

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

When it came to COVID vaccine eligibility, states that took their time expanding the pool of people who could get the shots have done a better job actually getting shots into arms than the states who rushed to broaden their … Continue reading →

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COVID vaccination road trips

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a thing that happens. With more vaccine supply flowing into Texas, the statewide mask mandate rollback and businesses reopening at 100 percent capacity, some Houstonians unable to get a COVID-19 vaccine close to home are making the drive two … Continue reading →

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The vaccination rate keeps inching up

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Making progress. A quarter of Texas residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday afternoon, state data shows. A Chronicle analysis found that the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna … Continue reading →

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What the American Rescue Plan means to Houston

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

First and foremost, no layoffs. Houston and Harris County are expected to receive more than $1.5 billion through the stimulus bill approved by Congress Wednesday, providing a massive cash injection that city officials say will help close a budget shortfall … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Vaccine progress

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Texas will surpass more than 7 million COVID-19 vaccination doses administered today, top public health officials told the Texas Senate as Gov. Greg Abbott lifted all capacity limits for businesses and ended government-imposed mask mandates in the state. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

More storm polling

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure things are as negative as this story makes it sound. Two out of three Texans lost electricity, water or both in last month’s devastating winter storm, though it’s unclear their harrowing experiences will have lasting political consequences, according … Continue reading →

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What to expect when you’re fully vaccinated

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The CDC has released some guidance that will help people understand what is safe to do and what precautions they will still need to take once they are fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors … Continue reading →

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What can we expect from the maskless mandate?

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More COVID, obviously. The Centers for Disease Control is increasing pressure on Republican leaders in states like Texas that have eased COVID restrictions, publishing a study on Friday showing evidence that the measures — such as the mask requirement that … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

More maskless mandate stuff

Posted on March 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of a roundup, because there’s so much out there. Three of Gov. Greg Abbott’s four coronavirus medical advisers say they weren’t directly consulted prior to lifting mask mandate In April 2020, an optimistic Gov. Greg Abbott announced at … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 41 Comments

President Biden disagrees with the maskless mandate

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I mean, duh. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Texas made a “big mistake” by removing its statewide mask mandate and suggested the decision reflected “Neanderthal thinking.” The comments by the Democratic president came a day after Republican Gov. Greg … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Vaccination hesitation blues

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is the next thing we will have to really focus on. Most Texas voters believe vaccines are safe and effective, but 28% do not plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it’s available to them, according to the latest … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Reactions to the maskless mandate

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with the doctors, since clearly they weren’t consulted. Houston-area doctors and medical professionals reacted with dismay to Gov. Greg Abbott’s Tuesday decision to roll back the state’s mask mandate and other precautions against COVID-19. “I had a pretty … Continue reading →

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Teachers can get the COVID vaccine now

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

About time. Texas teachers are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, health officials announced Wednesday. Effective immediately, all Texas vaccine providers should include all school staff, Head Start program staff, and child care staff in their vaccine administration programs, according to … Continue reading →

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We’ve got all kinds

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not the kind of distinction you want. Houston is the nation’s first city to record every major variant of the novel coronavirus — many of which are more contagious than the original strain. “The numbers of the major variants we … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Abbott lifts statewide mask mandate

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that he is ending Texas’ statewide mask mandate next week and will allow all businesses to operate at full capacity. “It is now time to open Texas 100%,” Abbott said from a Mexican restaurant … Continue reading →

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More vaccines coming

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Bring ’em. The Food and Drug Administration approved Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday for use in the U.S., the third vaccine to be approved since the pandemic began. Texas could initially receive more than 200,000 doses, according to … Continue reading →

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Please don’t take your mask off yet

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously, what’s the rush? Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that Texas is looking at when it will be able to lift all statewide orders related to the coronavirus pandemic and that an announcement is forthcoming. Abbott made the comments at … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Biden’s visit to Houston

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s so nice to have a normal, functional person as President, isn’t it? President Joe Biden, in his first trip to Texas since taking office, toured Houston on Friday to size up the aftermath of the state’s recent winter weather … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Vaccination progress

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Making progress. One in eight Harris County residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines, according to state and local data. A Chronicle analysis found that the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

President Biden will visit Houston on Friday

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here he comes. President Joe Biden plans to come to Texas on Friday in the wake of extensive winter storm damage in the state. The president and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Houston, according to a White House … Continue reading →

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We can get back to vaccinations

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Federal vaccination super site opening this week. COVID-19 vaccination efforts are about to significantly ramp up next week in Houston. The region’s first vaccination “super site” will open on Tuesday at NRG Stadium, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced on … Continue reading →

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We should be vaccinating grocery workers

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The only disagreement I have with this is that we should have more broadly classified “essential workers” from the beginning, and it should include more people who do not have the ability to work from home. Nearly a year into … Continue reading →

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Here come the super-sites

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Texas is working with the federal government to open vaccination “super sites” that could administer upward of 5,000 COVID-19 vaccines per day, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday. Houston and Dallas will likely host the initial two sites, Abbott said, … Continue reading →

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As the COVID mutates

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Just another reminder that we need to continue trying not to spread the virus while we wait for everyone to get vaccinated. A more contagious variant of the coronavirus first found in Britain is spreading rapidly in the United States, … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Vaccines at the stadia

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Everyone has a role to play in getting us all vaccinated. The NFL is telling the federal government it will make the remaining of the league’s 30 stadiums available as COVID-19 vaccination sites, joining the seven facilities already administering … Continue reading →

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Let me Google that vaccine locator for you

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. In the coming weeks, Google will begin implementing a vaccine locator service on its platforms for Texans to use, including appointment details, clinic hours and more. The rollout comes as part of a $150 million plan announced by Google … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Getting the kids caught up at school

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna be a big job, and hopefully we can do it in earnest beginning in August. With students finally settling into a pandemic-altered routine and widespread vaccine access on the horizon, Texas education leaders are turning to their next great … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bringing vaccines to your local pharmacy

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Makes a lot of sense. Retail pharmacies will bring more COVID-19 vaccines to Houston and across the country following a boost by the Biden administration to increase distribution to the public. CVS Health will roll out 38,000 COVID-19 vaccines to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The other obstacle to getting people vaccinated

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Some people just don’t want it. Millions of Texans do not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new University of Houston survey. While 38 percent of those surveyed said they will be vaccinated when it becomes available … Continue reading →

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Rodeo cancelled again

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer. RodeoHouston is hanging up the cowboy hat for 2021. No mutton busting. No fried Twinkies. No bed salesmen in NRG Center. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo made the announcement Wednesday morning, which includes all competitions, concerts and entertainment, … Continue reading →

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“Nobody is getting enough”

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty much says it all. As Texans scramble for appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine, federal data helps explain why: Relative to its population, the Lone Star State ranks near the bottom in the country in number of doses received. Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Why isn’t COVID an emergency item?

Posted on February 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Ask Greg Abbott. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday unveiled a legislative agenda centered on the state’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and a series of more politically charged issues such as police funding and “election integrity.” In his biennial State … Continue reading →

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The second shot portal

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

People are going to need this, too. Houston officials plan to launch a website this week that will let people schedule appointments for their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Health Director Stephen Williams on Monday said officials plan to … Continue reading →

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