Coronavirus in Texas

Using TaskRabbit and Venmo, a Silicon Valley investor and his business partner had workers repackage nonmedical KN95 masks so he could sell them to Texas emergency workers. Full Story 

In early May, Gov. Greg Abbott pointed to the positivity rate — a ratio of positive COVID-19 tests to all tests — and said anything over 10% was cause for alarm. As of Wednesday, Texas exceeded that mark for the first time since April. Full Story 

The federal government plans to cease funding for the sites at the end of June. Full Story 

The tables have turned: Texas previously had similar self-quarantining requirements for hot spots like New York and Louisiana. Now that Texas is the latest hot spot, states are imposing restrictions against travelers from the Lone Star State. Full Story 

Enforcement methods will largely focus on persuasion, but schools say they may discipline students or professors who don't comply. Full Story 

Texas government is going in two directions at once, with Gov. Greg Abbott blowing a whistle on rising COVID-19 numbers while top education officials detail plans to open public schools for in-person classes this fall. Full Story 

The governor also moved for the first time to allow the tightening of two kinds of restrictions that had been eased under his reopening plan. Full Story 

Regionally, some hospital officials are reporting that intensive care units are near or over capacity, and local leaders have warned that hospitals could get overwhelmed if the number of infections keeps climbing. Full Story 

Gov. Greg Abbott also issued an order allowing local officials to regulate public outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people. Those officials previously could only regulate events of over 500 people. Full Story 

Texas education officials delayed an expected announcement of school reopening guidelines Tuesday, but a draft plan shows the state taking a light-handed role in coronavirus prevention measures. Masks and distancing are recommended but not mandatory. Full Story 

Three Texas doctors didn’t know about the coronavirus when they filed to run for Congress this year, but now the pandemic has upended their professional and political lives. Full Story 

As cases surge in Texas and the pandemic rages on, the representatives said ICE should release all detainees who are not a safety risk and who are more vulnerable to contracting the virus. Full Story 

During an interview with The Texas Tribune, Escobar, D-El Paso, said the state's leadership missed an opportunity to implement robust testing when an emergency was declared. Full Story 

When Gov. Greg Abbott let businesses start reopening, he pointed to two metrics as encouraging signs: the hospitalization rate and the infection rate. Both of those metrics are on the rise in Texas. Full Story 

Runoffs to set party tickets for November were postponed in May as coronavirus took hold. Early voting now starts June 29, and voters are being largely left on their own to balance their voting rights with the health risks of going to a polling place. Full Story 

Thousands more Texans tested positive for the new coronavirus over the weekend, and the state has reported 11 consecutive days of record-high hospitalizations. Full Story 

More people are out and about, and coronavirus cases are rising in Texas. But there's an easy way to limit the spread of the virus, if people will set their politics aside: masks. Full Story 

State Rep. Tan Parker said he will file a bill in the upcoming legislative session to extend to-go alcohol sales past the coronavirus pandemic. The Texas Restaurant Association also has asked Abbott to expand the waiver to allow mixed drinks with liquor to be prepared, resealed and sold. Full Story 

More than 4,400 positive cases were reported Saturday. The state also set its ninth consecutive record for hospitalizations, but officials say hospital capacity isn't a concern. Full Story 

State officials announced yesterday that students will return to public schools come fall, but provided few details. Almost three-fourths of parents surveyed in one district say they won't send their children back if it seems unsafe. Full Story