Abbott:
25,483 Texans tested for COVID19
Of those tested, 2,552 confirmed positive
118 counties where someone tested positive
176 people in hospitals who have tested positive
34 fatalities connected to COVID19 (when I say connection, people who may have COVID19 but also a host of other medical ailments)
On average, less than 10% people who were tested test positive; 90% people who tested for COVID19 test negative
Of people who are tested, less than 10% who test positive are going to hospitals; 90% people who test positive are not needing to go to a hospital
Most of these numbers are results of personal interactions before distancing practices
Number of hospital beds available for COVID19 positive patients doubled
March 18: 8,100 hospital beds for COVID19
March 26: 16,000 beds for COVID19 patients
Increase does not include increased potential occupancy rooms as a result of my other EO requiring the doubling of beds in rooms capable of having two beds
Number of available beds and rooms should be even larger than the number provided today
Number of Texans hospitalized with connection to COVID19 is less than 2% of available hospital room capacity; COVID hospital vacancy rate of 98%
Plenty of hospital capacity for COVID19 today
Existing hospitals will continue to be primary location for those in need
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas will be set up to expand healthcare facilities
As we gather today, in the KBHCC, already large scale medical kits & equipment that exists
Capacity for 250 beds with plenty of room to massively expand that number if needed
Additional executive orders:
Massive spread in New Orleans/Louisiana
Prior EO about travel from New Orleans covered air travel; Updating EO to also include travel by road from any location in the State of Louisiana; does not apply to commercial activity, military service, emergency/health response, critical infrastructure functions
Expanding EO requiring quarantine of passengers flying into Texas to include more locations: Miami, FL; Atlanta, GA; Detroit, MI; Chicago, IL; any air travel from CA and Washington State
Issuing EO to stop the release of dangerous felons from prisons & jails in Texas. Releasing dangerous criminals is not the right solution. Doing so now is prohibited by law.
