AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott declared Friday that the new coronavirus is a statewide public health disaster and said that Texas is on the verge of being able to significantly ramp up its testing capacity.
At the same time, he announced that he was directing day cares, nursing homes and prisons to limit visitations and ordering state employees to work from home, where possible.
He said San Antonio is opening the first state drive-through with testing capabilities Friday. It will initially prioritize health care workers and high-risk patients. Dallas, Houston and Austin should expect similar testing sites to open in coming weeks, Abbott said.
The governor’s disaster proclamation represents a turning point in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and invokes emergency powers for his administration. It follows a flurry of recent actions by local officials to close school districts and cancel large-scale events.
Abbott also finally clarified the state's testing history so far and current capabilities. In total, he said there have been 220 Texans tested either by a state public lab or by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 75 or so Texans were being tested Friday, he said.
The state's testing capacity at public health labs was roughly 270 people per day as of Friday, but he said capacity will expand into the thousands next week as more private labs come online.
There are at least 50 cases of COVID-19 in Texas, with the first instances of community spread happening in the state's two largest urban areas.
State law gives broad authority to the Texas governor and health commissioner in times of crisis, including the ability to waive “laws that hinder state agencies’ ability to respond to COVID-19,” Abbott said, and he promised that “there will be many directives issued by this office over the coming days.”
Restricting visitation at prisons, nursing homes and state-run facilities for people with disabilities was necessary “to prioritize protecting of the most vulnerable populations,” Abbott said, adding that there would be exceptions for end-of-life visits and that visitors would be screened for illness.
State officials urged Texans to wash hands, cover coughs and stay home from work when sick — and not to hoard supplies.
And the governor said private internet service providers were “stepping up” to increase bandwidth necessary to allow large numbers of people to work remotely. “We don't need people who are sick coming into work,” Abbott said.
State law allows the Texas health commissioner to impose restrictions, enforceable by a court, on any “individual, animal, place, or object, as appropriate.” Those orders may include quarantine, isolation, detention or vaccination. (There is no vaccine available yet for COVID-19.)
Abbott also has the authority to “control ingress and egress to and from a disaster area” — effectively giving him the power to order lockdowns. But the governor said such drastic measures were not yet necessary.
“Obviously, with the number of people who have tested positive in Texas right now, there’s no reason for anything like that,” he said. “We will obviously adjust what the response is based on the number of people who test positive.”
The governor’s disaster proclamation does not affect plans to hold May elections, including a primary runoff, but Abbott left open the possibility of postponing them, saying he had “flexibility to address any issue that may come up.”
Texas joins more than 20 states in declaring an emergency over the virus.
This story was originally published at TexasTribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Today's top headlines:
- Texas governor declares statewide public health disaster
- Galveston County woman among 2 positive cases of coronavirus in Austin area
- Trump to declare emergency to speed up virus response; watch live at 2 p.m.
- H-E-B says customers should not panic: 'We are in a strong position to keep replenishing our shelves'
- 5 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Dallas County, 1 due to 'community spread'
- Know the difference between COVID-19, flu and allergies
- COVID-19 preps: Why are people stocking up on toilet paper?
Events canceled | School closures/changes | Map of cases | List of Houston-area cases | How to protect your pets | Coronavirus symptoms and prevention
Coronavirus symptoms
The symptoms of coronavirus can be similar to the flu or a bad cold. Symptoms include a fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Most healthy people will have mild symptoms. A study of more than 72,000 patients by the Centers for Disease Control in China showed 80 percent of the cases there were mild.
But infections can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death, according to the World Health Organization. Older people with underlying health conditions are most at risk.
The CDC believes symptoms may appear anywhere from two to 14 days after being exposed.
Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...
- The air by coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Eat and sleep separately from your family members
- Use different utensils and dishes
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hand.
- If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
Lower your risk
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.
Get complete coverage of the coronavirus by texting 'FACTS' to 713-526-1111.