Abbott: More than 9,100 Texans have tested positive for coronavirus, 175 dead

CONVERSE, Tex. (KTSA News) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott gave an update on the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday.

The governor said more than 96,000 tests have been conducted in the state — more than 9,100 tested positive, nearly 1,500 people have been hospitalized and 175 have died.

Abbott said Harris County has been seeing infections increase rapidly there.  The state has sent thousands of masks to the Houston area to assist in the response there.

The governor said the state has seen a record number of Texans filing for unemployment claims and he said those who may have had their unemployment benefit claim denied to file again.

Abbott said on March 26th alone, the Texas Workforce Commission received 1.7 million calls.  It typically seeks 120,000 calls per day.

About 600,000 claims have been filed over the past two weeks.  The governor said there were more claims filed since the beginning of March to today than all of 2019.

The governor added that Texas has procured or produced 5 million masks in the past week.  The state has more than 21,000 hospital beds, 2,200 ICU beds and nearly 7,700 ventilators available.

State officials were asked when Texas could see its peak in coronavirus cases.  Texas Department of State Health Services commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt said he would like to see more data before determining when the worst of the pandemic will affect Texas.

The state government is also urging Texans to prepare for potentially severe storms expected to rumble across parts of the state later Wednesday afternoon.

Abbott said state emergency operations are being mobilized ahead of the storms in preparation for any damage that may occur.

State officials said there is a chance parts of the state — particularly from Waco to San Antonio — could see hail about two inches in diameter and a possible tornado.

There have been 175 COVID-19 -related deaths in Texas .

He also announced that  Walgreens is going to set up some drive-thru COVID-19 test sites in Texas.

The new sites will offer tests produced by Abbott Diagnostics, which can produce results in less than 15 minutes.  Walgreens anticipates each site will be able to administer as many as 3,000 tests per day.

The governor was asked about coronavirus outbreaks at nursing home facilities, and he replied that he and his team are responding.  He mentioned facilities in Denton and elsewhere, but there was no mention of Southeast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in San Antonio where 8 residents diagnosed with COVID-19 have died, and more than 70 residents and employees have tested positive.

The testing service will be made available in areas with escalating cases of COVID-19 in Texas, as well as Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee.

The governor and Nim Kidd, Chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, also thanked a Toyota Supplier in San Antonio which is manufacturing face shields for the State.

As Toyota’s manufacturing facilities remain closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reyes Hayashi Automotive has shifted gears, and is supplying face shields, which the state will distribute wherever they’re needed.

Kidd said it’s an example of Texans helping Texans.