SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – Governor Greg Abbott warns that we could see tens of thousands of coronavirus cases in Texas in the next two weeks.

At a town hall Thursday night on KXAN-TV , he said there were nearly 160 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and five deaths in Texas, but he expects those numbers to quickly rise.

“This time next week, there will be thousands of people who will have tested positive. In two weeks, probably tens of thousands,” said Abbott. “This is a very rapidly spreading disease, but it’s one that we are prepared to respond to.”

With that many coronavirus patients expected, where will they be housed? The governor said the state is looking at alternatives in case hospitals run out of rooms. That includes medical tents, vacant hospitals and hotels.

“Hotel rooms, we’ve had plenty offered to the state already that we could use because no one’s going to hotels anymore,” he said.

Hotels are operating at occupancy rates of less than 10 percent, and several are shutting down. Some of the vacant hotels could be used to house patients who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, but are not seriously ill.

The governor acknowledged that he has been tested for COVID-19.

“Knowing that since the coronavirus in Texas has been around the state for a month, and since that time I have shaken hands with or hugged thousand of Texans,” said Abbott. “I owed it to my staff and to the people of Texas as I lead this effort to make sure that I was tested.”

He said the test results were negative.

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