35 family members of Uvalde shooting victims throw their support behind Beto OโRourke ahead of debate
In a news conference ahead of the only gubernatorial debate, 35 family members of Uvalde school shooting victims said they would support OโRourke because of Gov. Greg Abbottโs inaction on gun control measures.
More people in Texas are hospitalized for COVID-19 than at any other time during the pandemic
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported Monday a pandemic high 11,351 hospitalizations from COVID-19. This hospital data does not account for people who are hospitalized but have not gotten a positive test, and DSHS says some hospitals may be missing from the daily counts. As of Monday, the state is also reporting 49 deaths from COVID-19, a lagging indicator of the extent of transmission rates, and more than 12,800 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. Earlier this month, Texas' ICU capacity was already the lowest since the start of the pandemic, leaving health care experts worried hospitals could be pushed to the brink as coronavirus cases continue to climb. Across the state, COVID-19 patients occupy 17.8% of the state's hospital beds, and only 745 staffed ICU beds are still available.
Texans who are over 65 or have certain medical conditions are next in line for COVID-19 vaccine
Texans who are 65 years old and older, and those who are at least 16 with certain chronic medical conditions will be next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced on Monday. There are nearly 1.9 million Texans in that group, so it will likely take a few weeks before the state transitions to the next phase, state health officials said. The state expects to receive 1.4 million vaccine doses by the end of the month. A panel โ comprised of state lawmakers, state and local health officials, medical experts and researchers โ recommended those eligible for the next phase on Dec. 17. More than 42,000 doses of the vaccine had been administered in Texas as of Monday, state data shows.
VIDEO: Texas school district removes football team from playoffs after player tackles referee
HOUSTON โ A Texas school district has made the decision to remove the Edinburg High School football team from the playoffs after a player assaulted a referee Thursday night during a game. The incident occurred during a game between Edinburg High School and Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Early College High School in Edinburg, Texas. Check out the video from the incident here:The Edinburg CISD released the following statement:โThe district has decided to remove the Edinburg High School football team from the playoffs after an unexpected incident involving a student that occurred during a football game on December 3, 2020. On behalf of the Edinburg CISD Board of Trustees and administration, we apologize to the athletes, staff, and our school community. Unfortunately, this type of blindโsided assault on an official while working on the field is not new to Texas Football.
Texas' count of coronavirus deaths jumps 12% after officials change the way they tally COVID-19 fatalities
After months of undercounting coronavirus deaths, Texas formal tally of COVID-19 fatalities grew by more than 600 on Monday after state health officials changed their method of reporting. The revised count indicates that more than 12% of the states death tally was previously unreported by state health officials before Monday. The Texas Department of State Health Services is now counting deaths marked on death certificates as caused by COVID-19. State health officials said Monday that the policy change would improve the accuracy and timeliness of their data. As of July 26, state officials said about 5,030 people who tested positive for the virus had died.
Five U.S. Navy teams deploy to Rio Grande Valley, other Texas coronavirus hot spots
The U.S. Navy has deployed teams to help deal with coronavirus surges in the Rio Grande Valley and other Texas hot spots. Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneMedical professionals from the U.S. Navy were deployed Sunday to aid hospitals in four cities across southern Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, according to Gov. Early on in the pandemic, hot spots were mainly tied to outbreaks in enclosed spaces, like meatpacking plants and nursing homes. Five U.S. Navy teams were sent to four locations across Texass southern region: Harlingen, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Rio Grande City. Ambulance operators in the Rio Grande Valley area described wait times of up to 10 hours to deliver patients to packed emergency rooms.
Virus cases jump in worst-hit trio of US, Brazil and India
The virus is showing no signs of slowing in the worst-affected countries: the United States, Brazil and India. The U.S. reported nearly 59,000 new daily cases, just short of the record 60,000 cases set a day earlier, as President Donald Trump insisted that schools reopen in the fall. Brazil reported nearly 45,000 new cases. The virus has also been spreading rapidly in South Africa, which reported nearly 9,000 new cases in its latest daily update. He complained that his own public health officials safety guidelines are impractical and too expensive.
Texas bans elective surgeries in more than 100 counties as coronavirus hospitalizations keep climbing
Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? With cases of the new coronavirus and related hospitalizations rising at alarming rates, Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday expanded his ban on elective medical procedures to cover more than 100 counties across much of the state. "We are freeing up more resources to address upticks in COVID-19 related cases, Abbott said in a statement. Hospital capacity is currently most taxed around the states biggest cities, as well as most of South Texas.
Nearly 14% of new U.S. COVID-19 cases are recorded in Texas
On Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported more than 10,000 new cases representing nearly 20% of the nations new cases for the day. There has never been a higher risk of getting COVID-19 in Texas, the states public health agency wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. #COVID19TX update: https://t.co/ofycOLqWQZCurrent #COVID19 hospitalizations continue to increase. There has never been a higher risk of getting COVID-19 in #Texas. We are going to be in a situation where we have to seriously consider sheltering in place again, said Dennis Perrotta, a former Texas state epidemiologist.
Ten out of the 12 hospitals in Texas' Rio Grande Valley are now full
Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneHospitals in the Rio Grande Valley sounded the alarm Saturday as their beds filled to capacity with COVID-19 patients and some began transferring patients elsewhere. The local and Valley hospitals are at full capacity and have no more beds available, Starr County Judge Eloy Vera said in a statement. Hospitals in Starr County were also transferring patients, with at least two severely ill patients flown to Dallas and San Antonio, Vera added. As COVID-19 cases have exploded across Texas, health officials in other areas are also expressing concern about hospital capacity. Greg Abbott, who began allowing Texas businesses to reopen on May 1, expanded his June 25 ban on elective surgeries to counties in South Texas on Tuesday to preserve hospital capacity.