Texas Department of State Health Services

The Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee's report is finally out after months of delays.

There are more than 600 reported cases of the virus in Texas with dozens more “presumptive cases.” Local officials said more vaccines should be headed to the state following a declaration by the White House that the virus is now a public health emergency.

The state reported the seven-day average for daily cases was 41,413 on Wednesday, down from the peak of 52,709 reached on Jan. 17.

Five of the department’s regional infusion centers have run out of sotrovimab, the only antibody treatment known to be effective against the new variant.

Texas public health officials are ramping up efforts to track the COVID-19 omicron variant after the first confirmed case in Harris County.

A Travis County judge temporarily blocked the state from listing delta-8 as a Schedule I drug, which effectively made it illegal. The cannabis extract became popular because users say it produces the “high” effect of marijuana.

State health officials combed through millions of health records spanning back to when vaccinations started in January.

Delta-8 has been considered legal by retailers and customers, who say it falls under the Farm Bill of 2018, which legalized hemp and its derivatives as long as their THC content is less than 0.3%.

State officials say in just the past week hospitalizations are up 49% due to the highly contagious COVID variant.

Una oficina del estado se enfocará en combatir disparidades de salud relacionados a temas de raza, etnicidad, geografía y otras cosas.