Coronavirus in Texas 4/8: Texas not disclosing nursing home infections; food banks see demand surge

A medical worker walks near Las Palmas Medical Center in El Paso. Emily Kinskey for The Texas Tribune

Wednesday's biggest developments

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  • Texas won't disclose data on coronavirus in Texas nursing homes
  • Food banks across Texas are seeing higher demand for help, but fewer donations and volunteers
  • Gov. Greg Abbott to discuss efforts to combat pandemic at 2 p.m.

Food banks face grocery shortage as demand surges

[5 a.m.] As thousands of Texans are suddenly out of work because of the coronavirus pandemic, demand for assistance from food banks is skyrocketing. Meanwhile, volunteers are scarce and food is harder to come by since grocery stores have less surplus to donate because their own shelves are depleted from panic buying.

Many food banks are enrolled in surplus programs in which grocers donate food they can no longer sell — like granola bar boxes with a missing bar, crushed cereal packages and baked goods nearing the expiration date — but for weeks, grocery stores have been limiting their donations because of their own dwindling supply. — Stacy Fernández

State officials won't release comprehensive data on infections in nursing homes

[5 a.m.] Hundreds of Texas nursing home residents and staff members have tested positive for the new coronavirus. Texas officials acknowledge they're tracking data on infected people living or working at nursing homes. But, unlike other states, Texas isn't releasing such comprehensive data.

The Texas Tribune collected numbers of such patients from various public health departments and local news reports and found at least 320 residents and workers at nursing homes have been infected. But those findings likely underrepresent the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak in the state's nursing facilities. — Edgar Walters and Carla Astudillo

Gov. Abbott to address efforts to care for those infected

[5 a.m.] Gov. Greg Abbott is scheduled to update Texans on the state's efforts to combat the novel coronavirus' spread and provide care to those infected. He will speak at 2 p.m. Wednesday and his remarks will be live streamed.

Texas reported 986 more cases of virus Tuesday, a 14% increase over the previous day, bringing the total number of known cases to 8,262. The latest available figures show more than 1,200 patients were hospitalized in the state. A total of 154 Texans have died.