Gov. Abbott announces measures to combat ongoing spike in COVID cases
John C. MoritzAUSTIN — Texas hospitals should voluntarily postpone elective procedures and Texans still not vaccinated for COVID-19 should consider taking the shots as the ongoing spike in cases puts an increased strain on state resources, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday.
"The state of Texas is taking action to combat the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and ensure that our hospitals and communities have the resources and support they need to mitigate the virus," Abbott said in a late afternoon news release. "Texans can help bolster our efforts by getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and it is our best defense against this virus."
The governor's announcement, which included plans to bring out-of-state medical professionals to boost staffing in Texas health care facilities. comes as COVID-19 hospitalizations continued a six-week march upward fueled by the highly contagious delta variant.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, nearly 9,500 lab-confirmed COVID patients were under hospital care as of Sunday, a dramatic rise since late June when the COVID hospital bed count was less than 1,500. The state's high point was 10 times greater in mid-January when nearly 15,000 COVID patients required hospitalizations, according the state health department's figures.
So far, only about 55% of Texans over age 12 are fully vaccinated for the sometimes deadly virus that nearly a year and a half ago launched a worldwide pandemic. Abbott has been adamant that he will not reimpose several of the COVID-fighting mandates he lifted in March as vaccinations started becoming widely available in Texas.
But he did send a letter Monday to the Texas Hospital Association asking hospitals to voluntarily postpone procedures that "will not result in loss of life or the deterioration of a patient's condition, in order to increase hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients."
The governor also ordered DSHS and the Texas Division of Emergency Management to open more COVID "antibody infusion centers" across the state.
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"These infusion centers will treat COVID-19 patients who do not need hospitalization with therapeutic drugs that can prevent their condition from worsening and requiring hospital care," Abbott's news release said. "These centers also help increase bed capacity in hospitals so that resources are available for the most ill patients."
Both agencies were also instructed to make more vaccine doses available.
John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo.