Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott With the surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the state has called on out-of-state medical staff to assist the state.
Abbott announced on Monday that the State Department of Health Services (DSHS) will work to bring in medical professionals from outside the state. These professionals will help hospitals deal with the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
According to WFAA, Abbott also wrote to the Texas Hospital Association requesting hospitals to voluntarily postpone elective medical procedures in order to provide more hospital space for COVID-19 patients. The governor said that surgery should only be postponed if it will not endanger the life of the patient or make the condition worse.
The governor’s actions occurred amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the state. According to DSHS data, on July 1, the state reported 1,301 new cases and 1,502 hospitalizations. On August 6, the state reported 24,559 new cases and 8,522 hospitalizations.
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According to data from the University of Texas COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, as of August 15, it is estimated that 15,000 Texans may be hospitalized due to COVID-19. The Modeling Alliance is based on predictions from DSHS data. It was created by a group of “scientists, social scientists and engineers”.
In response to rising infections, Abbott also instructed DSHS and the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) to increase the number of COVID-19 antibody infusion centers in the state. These centers provide medication to help symptomatic COVID-19 patients stay away from the hospital.
Abbott also instructed DSHS and TDEM to increase the availability of vaccination.
“Texans can help strengthen our efforts by getting the COVID-19 vaccine,” Abbott said. “The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and it is our best defense against this virus.”
Despite his actions, the state hospital has already felt the impact of the increase in cases.
Hospitals in the five counties surrounding Austin are almost at full capacity, and 184 of the 200 available beds in the intensive care unit are full. Austin American Politician Report.
Two hospitals in Texas—the commercial Hunter Regional Medical Center and the Texas Health Hospital in Rockwall—have temporarily closed emergency rooms to focus on hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
The surge in hospital admissions also occurred during a showdown between Abbott and the state’s public school districts.
In July, Abbott issued an executive order prohibiting any publicly funded state or local agency from mandating the wearing of masks. On Monday, the Dallas Independent School District, one of the largest independent school districts in the state, ignored Abbott and said it would require everyone to wear a mask in school.
The Texas Teachers Association, one of the largest teacher organizations in the state, has asked Abbott to lift his ban on masks. Children under 12 are not currently eligible for the vaccine. Educators worry that these children may catch the virus and spread it to older family members.
The Southern Children’s Advocacy Center, a non-profit educational organization, also sued Abbott because he ordered that schools be banned from wearing masks.
Weekly newspaper Contact the Abbott office for comments.
