With Harris County's current confirmed COVID-19 cases at more than 23,000 according to the latest data from the county, a prominent children's hospital has initiated a crucial pivot to fight the aggressive growth of local infections.

The vaunted Texas Children's Hospital is now admitting adult patients, the hospital announced late Monday, June 22, as Houston's numbers rise and Texas Medical Center hospitals' ICU beds near capacity, according to some reports.

The hospital released a statement to the media which included the following:

Texas Children's Hospital, our employees, medical staff and leadership team continue to carefully monitor the ongoing active transmission and increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the greater Houston area and across the State. We are committed to doing our part to assist the city as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise. Specifically, Texas Children's is committed to providing additional capacity through ICU and acute care beds across our hospital campuses to take on both pediatric and adult patients.

We know COVID-19 has not gone away. We implore you to take responsible actions – practice appropriate social distancing, wear a mask or face covering anytime you leave your home, wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds, and avoid touching your face.

A representative for the hospital confirms to CultureMap that adults have already been admitted and will be situated in a different section of the hospital.

The move comes after Mayor Sylvester Turner expressed concern in regards to virus-related hospitalizations. "We are moving very fast in the wrong direction," said Turner. During a briefing on Monday, June 22, Turner reported 1,789 new COVID-19 cases, adding to Houston's total of 14,322. Monday's total is the most the city has reported in one day so far.

Meanwhile, as CultureMap reported, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, says if the spike in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue, the city of Houston could become the worst-impacted city in the U.S.

"We are potentially facing a very serious public health threat," says Hotez.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.