ABBOTT: COVID-19 “SPREADING AT AN UNACCEPTABLE RATE”

  

Governor Greg Abbott said today (Monday) he has no intentions of shutting down the state again amid the recent rise in statewide COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

At a press conference this afternoon, Abbott said COVID-19 is “spreading at an unacceptable rate in Texas”, and “must be corralled”.  However, he also maintained that “closing down Texas again will always be the last option”.

Abbott cited statistics showing that new cases now average more than 3,500 a day, compared to roughly 1,500 new cases per day in May.  Abbott said daily hospitalizations are also up from 1,600 to 3,200, while the positivity rate is now up to just under 9 percent from 4.5 percent last month.

Abbott said the state will continue to put an emphasis on strategies to slow the spread of the virus without the need to return to stay-at-home policies.  Among the strategies he mentioned were increasing testing in hot spots across the state and ensuring hospitals have what they need to treat COVID-19 patients.

Abbott once again strongly encouraged, but did not mandate, the use of facial coverings while in public.  He also reiterated the importance of maintaining social distancing and regularly washing hands, while saying individuals who are either at risk or feeling ill should avoid going out whenever possible.

Recently, some of the state's largest counties, including Bexar, Harris, and Travis Counties, implemented mandatory mask orders for businesses, requiring all customers and employees to wear face masks.

Abbott said COVID-19 has not gone away, but neither has the public’s ability to get rid of it.  He said the state is able to “protect Texans’ lives while also restoring their livelihoods”.