COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing in Texas nursing homes, and nearly half of workers are unvaccinated
Texas ranks 46th nationally for vaccinated nursing home residents and 33rd for vaccinated nursing home staff. Full Story
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Colleen DeGuzman
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Colleen DeGuzman was a 2021 reporting fellow. She graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where she studied mass communication with a concentration in print journalism. Colleen worked as a reporter and designer at The Monitor in McAllen, Texas, and has had internships at NBC's Weekend Today and Ashoka's Washington bureau. She has also worked as a stringer for The New York Times and is an NPR Next Generation Radio mentee.
Past Contributions
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![Rosa Ramos and Rebecca Pargas watch television while drinking coffee at the Amistad Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on April 1, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas cancer patients and people with PTSD will soon be able to join state’s expanded medical marijuana program
A new law going into effect Sept. 1 will also increase the cap of THC in medical marijuana to 1%. Full Story
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![David Bass at his home in Killeen on Aug. 8, 2021. “In the next year, we hope that more municipalities decide to stop wasting police resources on arresting people for small amounts of cannabis.”]()
Credit: Cindy Elizabeth for The Texas Tribune -
San Antonio Democrat Leo Pacheco reportedly planning to resign from Texas House before second term ends
Pacheco, who was first elected in 2018, announced that he will be resigning as a representative to teach public administration at San Antonio College, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Full Story
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![State Rep. Leo Pacheco, D-San Antonio, gives a surprising look to Speaker Phelan during the hour session on April 22, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Local mask mandates pop up in defiance of Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning COVID-19 restrictions
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is the most recent official to defy the governor’s order. He announced Monday that the city’s nearly 22,000 city employees will be required to mask up inside city buildings where social distancing is not doable. Full Story
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![Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announces Troy Finner as the new chief of the Houston Police Department on March 18, 2021, at City Hall in downtown Houston.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
COVID-19 is spreading fast among Texas’ unvaccinated. Here’s who they are and where they live.
There are two main groups within Texas’ unvaccinated population: white conservatives in rural areas, and Hispanic and Black people in big cities. Full Story
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![Diana Phipps pulls up doses of the Pfizer vaccine into syringes at a clinic organized by the Travis County Mobile Vaccine Collaborative at Rodriguez Elementary School on July 28, 2021.
Source diversity info: White Female]()
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As Texas COVID-19 cases surge again, some local officials urge everyone to wear masks and unvaccinated residents to stay home
Officials in Dallas, Harris and Travis counties want residents to take stronger precautions as the delta variant drives an increase in coronavirus infections across Texas. Full Story
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![A sign at Big Top, a candy store in Austin, tells patrons that masks are required for entry on July 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Texas has seen nearly 9,000 COVID-19 deaths since February. All but 43 were unvaccinated people.
Preliminary data shows 99.5% of COVID-related deaths in Texas were among unvaccinated people, according to the Department of State Health Services. Full Story
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![Long lines of drivers wait for hours to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the Fair Park vaccination site in Dallas. Feb. 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Rising share of coronavirus tests coming back positive in Texas fuels fears of another wave
State officials and virologists say the highly contagious delta variant is causing the rise — and is particularly impacting unvaccinated people. Full Story
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![A sign in South Austin asks customers to wear a mask inside ta business on March 3, 2021.]()
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Austin announces stricter coronavirus protocols for unvaccinated residents as cases increase. But it can’t legally enforce them.
The city’s return to Stage 3 risk-based guidelines marks the first time a major Texas city has reversed direction in the trend toward normalcy. But others are also reporting surges in cases. Full Story
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![A COVID-19 safety sign in Austin on June 24, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texans, where’s your Democratic lawmaker?
Here’s a list of the Texas Democrats who left the state in an effort to block GOP voting legislation. Full Story
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![An empty House floor the day after Texas Democrats left the state to break quorum over a Republican-led voting restrictions bill. July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune