Coronavirus Texas: Gov. Abbott pauses state’s reopening plan as cases, hospitalizations rise

By Top-Bit On Jun 25, 2020

Businesses that were permitted to open under the previous phases can continue to operate at the designated occupancy outlined by the Texas Department of State Health Services, according to statement from Abbott's office.
"The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses. This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business," Gov. Greg Abbott said in the release.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the US Army Corps of Engineers and the state are putting up a 250-bed field hospital at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in downtown Dallas during a press conference at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Sunday, March 29, 2020.Tom Fox | Getty Images

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Thursday that the state will pause any further reopening as the state continues to report record increases in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Businesses that were permitted to open under the previous phases can continue to operate at the designated occupancy outlined by the Texas Department of State Health Services, according to statement from Abbott's office.

"The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses. This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business," Abbott said in the release.

Earlier on Thursday, Abbott ordered all licensed hospitals in the hard-hit Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties to postpone elective procedures in order to protect hospital capacity for Covid-19 patients. There are currently 4,389 Covid-19 patients hospitalized statewide in Texas, up from 2,793 a week ago, according to the state's health department.

"These four counties have experienced significant increases in people being hospitalized due to COVID-19 and today's action is a precautionary step to help ensure that the hospitals in these counties continue to have ample supply of available beds to treat COVID-19 patients," Abbott said in his executive order.

Texas is one of the states in the American West and South experiencing a recent surge in Covid-19 cases. On Wednesday, the state reported more than 5,500 additional Covid-19 cases.

On Tuesday, Abbott recommended residents stay home unless they have to venture outside. He has consistently urged residents to follow social distancing guidelines and to wear a mask when in public, saying that it "will help us to keep Texas open."

"Unless you do need to go out, the safest place for you is at your home," he said during an interview with KBTX-TV.

This is a developing story. Please check back later for updates.

Source: cnbc.com