Due to an increase of COVID-19 cases in the area, the City of Brownsville has raised its COVID-19 Matrix to Level 3.
City officials announced the change Tuesday afternoon as a surge of the coronavirus is spreading not only across the city but across the Rio Grande Valley as well.
The Cameron County Public Health Department on Monday reported that 475 cases of the coronavirus had been reported in Brownsville from Dec. 31 through Jan. 3.
Countywide, there were 1,229 cases reported during that four-day period.
City officials said increasing the Matrix Level is being done ensure that the city, along with local health partners and authorities, work together to protect the community, while also monitoring multiple factors such as new hospital admissions, transmission rates, positive cases, and current ICU and ventilator patients.
The following is the City of Brownsville’s Threat Matrix Level 3 Guidance:
- Fully vaccinated individuals should continue to protect themselves by wearing a mask when partaking in gatherings/meetings, traveling, dining, or shopping, if they are unable to socially distance.
- Partially or unvaccinated individuals should avoid large meetings, travel, dining, and shopping, unless deemed essential. Masks should be worn when performing any of these necessary activities.
- Community members should minimize contact with those outside of their immediate household, limiting gatherings to ten people, and avoiding any medium or large meetings.
- Proper hand washing and hand sanitation should be performed as needed to minimize the spread of the virus.
- Follow new CDC guidelines available at cdc.gov.
