Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) is pleading with residents to stay home as the state grapples with an increase in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations stemming from the disease.
In an interview Tuesday with KBTX-TV, a local CBS affiliate, Abbott said Texas would report more than 5,000 cases of COVID-19 from the previous 24-hour period, setting a new record for the state. She added that hospitalizations were also at their highest point, highlighting that the outbreak is “serious.”
“First, we want to make sure everyone enforces safe best practices of wearing a mask, hand sanitizing, keeping a safe distance, but most importantly, because the spread is so rampant right now, there is never a reason for you to have to leave your house, “said Abbott. “Unless you need to go out, the safest place for you is your home.”
Abbott noted that more announcements regarding the state’s efforts to combat the spread of the disease would come later in the week. He said the state has increased testing and response supplies in areas that are especially affected by outbreaks. She also said that the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission has expanded enforcement efforts to ensure businesses comply with health restrictions.
But the governor said during a press conference Monday that he would not impose any restrictions on companies and other activities again. While admitting that the increase in cases was “unacceptable,” he said the state would remain “open to business.”
“We don’t have to choose between jobs and health. We can have both. We can protect Texans’ lives while restoring livelihoods … Together, we will keep Texas open for business,” he said, urging Texans. to use. Masks, washing hands and maintaining social distance.
The governor did not come to announce new restrictions to stop the spread of the disease.
“Closing Texas again will always be the last option,” said Abbott.
Texas was one of the first states to begin a gradual reopening in late April. The state is now in the third phase of that reopening, which allows companies, including bars, gyms, and office buildings, to operate at 50 percent of capacity. Some companies have also been allowed to operate at 100 percent of their capacity, and there are few restrictions for most outdoor areas.
As of Tuesday, state health officials had reported more than 120,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,200 deaths caused by it. The Texas Department of State Health Services said in a statement Monday that “hospitalizations are increasing at their fastest rate.”
Abbott told KBTX-TV, “The first obligation we have is to make sure that people across the state really understand the magnitude of the challenge we face.”
“There are still many people in the state of Texas who think that the spread of COVID-19 really is not a challenge,” he said.
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