Starr County Judge Eloy Vera issued an emergency order Monday that, in addition to reinforcing curfew and stay-at-home recommendations, urges all government buildings to humidify all public buildings.
The order strongly encourages and recommends that county, city and school buildings maintain a level of absolute humidity of no less than 10, citing scientific evidence that shows that keeping absolute humidity above 10 helps to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The city of Roma launched an initiative called “Visualizing Hope” through which the city monitors absolute humidity at various locations throughout the city.
Absolute humidity is the measure of moisture in the air, regardless of temperature and, according to Dr. Jeff Gusky, a board-certified emergency physician and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians, an absolute humidity of 10 grams per meter cube or more can activate cell-mediated herd immunity.
Gusky announced during a news conference with Starr County officials last month that the tool would be implemented in Roma.
The city has a “viral safety index” available on their website that pinpoints the absolute humidity levels of several buildings in the city.
Last week, the city purchased 20 humidifiers for adult day care centers in the area, according to Assistant City Manager Freddy Guerra.
With Dr. Raymond Mussett, Guerra said the city identified that homes serviced by the home health industry and with home health providers are among the most vulnerable.
“We’re creating a program to where we are able to provide some type of assistance to humidify those spaces,” Guerra said. “It will start off by creating an education campaign and simplifying the need for humidification of the homes and trying to get families to do that on their own.”
If families need financial assistance to obtain humidifiers, the city will try to find appropriate financing or grants.
The city is also working with the three largest grocery stores there to figure out how they can recondition their heating, ventilation and air conditioning system systems to humidify those spaces.
The Roma school district will also be partaking in the initiative, having purchased 150 humidifiers for individual classrooms and officers, according to school board President Ricardo A. Perez.
In addition to encouraging certain humidity levels, the emergency order also renews the recommendations to abide by a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. for individuals 17 and under and a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. for those 18 and older.
It is also “strongly encouraged and recommended” that people shelter at home.
Individuals are also ordered to wear facial coverings in public when it is not feasible to maintain 6 feet of distance from others in accordance with the executive order Gov. Greg Abbott signed on July 2.
The order is in effect until 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 21.
