CBS News: Houston mayor warns hospital system close to “overwhelmed” amid COVID spike . “Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner warned Sunday that his city’s hospital system is close to becoming ‘overwhelmed’ with patients amid a spike in confirmed coronavirus cases. ‘If we don’t get our hands around this virus quickly, in about two weeks our hospital system could be in serious, serious trouble,’ Turner said on ‘Face the Nation.'”
Texas
Washington Post: As coronavirus cases skyrocket across Texas, hospitals grapple with patient influxes
Washington Post: As coronavirus cases skyrocket across Texas, hospitals grapple with patient influxes. “When Clay Johnston, dean of the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, saw a model of how the coronavirus might ravage the state after stay-at-home orders were lifted, he was incredulous. ‘I didn’t believe it,’ Johnston said. Now health-care workers across Texas are seeing those alarming predictions come true, with overwhelmed testing centers, lines at emergency rooms and crowded intensive care units, where it is difficult to maintain adequate numbers of specialized staff.”
Texas Tribune: Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texans in most counties to wear masks in public
Texas Tribune: Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texans in most counties to wear masks in public. “The order requires Texans living in counties more than 20 coronavirus cases to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while in a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible. But it provides several exceptions, including for children who are younger than 10 years old, people who have a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask, people who are eating or drinking, and people who are exercising outdoors.”
CNN: Hundreds of teens at ‘pong fest’ party exposed to coronavirus, officials say
CNN: Hundreds of teens at ‘pong fest’ party exposed to coronavirus, officials say. I read this and was like, “The hell is a Pong Fest?” After poking around it appears that this party is a regular affair and it specifically is called Pong Fest. “At the time of the party, several teens were waiting for their Covid-19 test results, and have since tested positive, according to Shelly Parks, a spokesperson with Austin Homeland Security & Emergency Management. City and health officials are now urging all attendees to get tested and self-isolate.”
ProPublica: Internal Messages Reveal Crisis at Houston Hospitals as Coronavirus Cases Surge
ProPublica: Internal Messages Reveal Crisis at Houston Hospitals as Coronavirus Cases Surge. “Texas was one of the first states in the nation to ease social distancing mandates. In Houston, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has quadrupled since Memorial Day. ‘It’s time to be alarmed,’ one expert said.”
San Antonio Express-News: Bexar County coronavirus cases soar above 10,000
San Antonio Express-News: Bexar County coronavirus cases soar above 10,000. “With San Antonio’s coronavirus crisis at a critical stage, topping more than 10,000 cases Sunday, local officials are asking the state to send medical professionals to staff a 250-bed field hospital in Freeman Coliseum that would accommodate an expected flood of new patients.”
Politico: A Sun Belt time bomb threatens Trump’s reelection
Politico: A Sun Belt time bomb threatens Trump’s reelection. “Republican governors in Florida, Arizona and Texas followed Trump’s lead by quickly reopening their states while taking a lax approach to social distancing and mask-wearing. Now each of them is seeing skyrocketing coronavirus caseloads and rising hospitalizations, and Republican leaders are in retreat. It’s hard to overstate the gravity of the situation for Trump: Lose any one of the three states, and his reelection is all but doomed.”
CBS News: Texas governor says “If I could go back and redo anything, I would slow down the reopening of bars”
CBS News: Texas governor says “If I could go back and redo anything, I would slow down the reopening of bars”. “As the number of people hospitalized in Texas from the coronavirus surpassed 5,000 on Friday, Governor Greg Abbott said he should not have rushed ahead with reopening bars. The news comes as Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator, said Friday that Texas is one of the two states with the largest increase in positive coronavirus cases as the country reported the highest single-day increase in new cases.”
Houston Chronicle: As Texans try to escape COVID-19 in Big Bend, the virus follows along
Houston Chronicle: As Texans try to escape COVID-19 in Big Bend, the virus follows along. “It’s 114 degrees in the Chihuahuan Desert but the Texans just keep coming. Typically tourism to Big Bend National Park dwindles in June and July when temperatures reach life-threatening levels. But this year the numbers at the park are climbing along with the temperature, said Tom VandenBerg, chief of interpretation and visitor services at the park. ‘We are getting a lot more than usual for this time of year,’ said VandenBerg, assuming many people are looking for a reprieve from the months of COVID-19 restrictions.”
Politico: Trump administration restores federal funding for Texas testing sites
Politico: Trump administration restores federal funding for Texas testing sites. “The Trump administration is reversing its decision to cut federal support for five drive-thru coronavirus testing sites in Texas this month after a formal request from Gov. Greg Abbott and criticism from Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.”
Preview: More Houston restaurants forced to close during COVID-19 spike
Preview: More Houston restaurants forced to close during COVID-19 spike. “Texas’ alarming spike in coronavirus cases coincides with more hits to the local restaurant and bar industry. On Thursday the statewide total of new COVID-19 cases increased by nearly 6,000 – the state’s highest single-day increase. A new round of temporarily restaurant closures also marked the past few days.”
NBC News: Texas pauses reopening as hospitals inundated with ‘explosion’ of COVID-19 cases
NBC News: Texas pauses reopening as hospitals inundated with ‘explosion’ of COVID-19 cases. “The governor of Texas hit the brakes on reopening his state Thursday as hospitals were inundated with ‘an explosion’ of new COVID-19 cases and officials warned there might not be enough beds available.”
CNN: The 3 most populous states are breaking coronavirus records, leading to fears of ‘apocalyptic’ surges
CNN: The 3 most populous states are breaking coronavirus records, leading to fears of ‘apocalyptic’ surges. “Florida and Texas announced Wednesday that they’d recorded more than 5,000 new Covid-19 cases the prior day, a new daily record. California reported more than 7,000 cases, obliterating a record hit a day earlier. In Texas, if the current case trajectory continues, Houston could be the hardest-hit city in the US with numbers rivaling those in Brazil. Infection numbers are also rising in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio, said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine.”
Houston Chronicle: Texas Children’s admitting adult patients because of COVID-19 surge
Houston Chronicle: Texas Children’s admitting adult patients because of COVID-19 surge. “In a statement late Monday night, Texas Children’s confirmed that the pediatric hospital has taken the unusual step of providing such additional capacity through its intensive care units and acute care beds at its two biggest campuses in the area.”
Houston Chronicle: Gov. Abbott warns of record-breaking 5,000 new COVID-19 infections for Texas
Houston Chronicle: Gov. Abbott warns of record-breaking 5,000 new COVID-19 infections for Texas . “Texas added yet another record number of new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, as Gov. Greg Abbott urged people to wear masks and stay indoors whenever possible. The state reported nearly 5,200 new cases, surpassing the previous high of 4,600 on Friday, according to a data analysis by Hearst Newspapers. The weekly rolling average hit 3,722 new cases per day, up from about 1,500 two weeks ago.”
