Update from Governor Abbott

With Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner John Hellerstedt, MD, and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd flanking him, Governor Greg Abbott announced several new actions Texas is taking to mitigate the spread of the virus, including declaring a State of Disaster in all Texas counties.

In declaring a State of Disaster, a number of actions were triggered, including: Authorizing the use of all available and necessary state government resources to help manage the situation; activating the state emergency management plan and the State Operations Center to enhance the state's planning and response capabilities; giving TDEM the ability to reassign and fully utilize appropriate personnel where they are needed most; providing the immediate ability to move resources around the state, including resources obtained through the Strategic National Stockpile; and Empowering the Office of the Attorney General to pursue cases of price-gouging and ensure that offenders are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Abbott directed state agencies to restrict visitations at certain facilities, limiting exceptions to situations such as end-of-life visitations. Facilities such as nursing homes, state-supported living centers, hospitals, daycares and prisons, jails and juveniles justice facilities, will be restricting visitation. 

Governor Abbott is also directing state agencies to take any action necessary to facilitate telemedicine. In addition, he is directing state agencies to provide flexible work and tele-work policies to employees to give them the ability to care for their families, while ensuring the state government continues function at full capacity and provide all necessary services.

The Governor reassured the public that stockpiling supplies is not necessary. The State has been working closely with grocers and retailers to ensure shelves are replenished and that Texans have access to the goods and supplies they need. 

Updates on testing capabilities were also announced during the press conference. Governor Abbott stated that Texas Public Health Labs now have the capacity to test over 270 people per day, with more private labs coming online every day. Additionally, the City of San Antonio has announced the opening of the first drive-through testing facility in Texas. This facility will serve first responders, healthcare workers, operators of critical infrastructure and key resources, and certain high-risk patients. Other major cities are working to implement drive-through testing sites that will be run and managed at the local level.

Governor Abbott addressed the actions being taken by the Texas Education Agency to prepare a proper response within school districts. Texas is pursuing waivers for federal regulations for the school lunch program to give districts flexibility to provide students food should districts shut down due to the coronavirus.