Coronavirus in Texas

Abbott has long resisted making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory. There may be legal precedent on Biden’s side. Full Story 

Teachers report being spread thin by the demands of remote learning and exhausted by the constant health concerns. Full Story 

While some national companies are requiring employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, mandates have been the exception for businesses in Texas. Full Story 

An expert in COVID-19 treatment says there's growing evidence the virus increases the risk of pregnancy complications, and booster shots aimed at the delta variant are on the way. Full Story 

As Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton vowed to punish any school district that defied Abbott’s ban on mask mandates, Republican legislators were largely indifferent on the matter. Full Story 

Caseloads have left districts scrambling when many have said they have fewer tools at their disposal to combat the spread of the virus. Full Story 

The numbers have stayed within a few hundred of a grim milestone as the state battles the pandemic’s latest surge. Full Story 

There’s $1 billion in rental assistance available to struggling Texas tenants. But for many renters, getting the help they need depends on where they live. Full Story 

Stressed health workers are now confronting volatile visitors and patients. “The verbal abuse, the name-calling, racial slurs … we’ve had broken bones, broken noses,” said one hospital official in Dallas. Full Story 

So far the state has paid to hire more than 8,000 contract health care workers as hospitalizations from COVID-19 in Texas approach the record set last winter. Full Story 

The bill, which would provide funding through September 2023, will head back to the Senate before reaching Gov. Greg Abbott's desk. Full Story 

There have been 20,256 reported cases among students across the state since the school year began. Full Story 

Abbott says local district attorneys have the authority to enforce his ban on local mask mandates. But urban DAs are unlikely to go after their fellow local officials. Full Story 

Those in the 30-49 age range were hospitalized this month at nearly double their rate in January, the pandemic's previous peak in Texas. Full Story 

Ten years ago, the state led in requiring meningitis vaccines for students under 22 enrolling in college. Now, in the middle of a pandemic, lawmakers are more skeptical of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Full Story 

The order comes two days after the FDA granted full approval to the Pfizer vaccine. It doesn't keep private businesses from mandating vaccines for their workers — but public or private entities that receive public funds cannot require vaccination proof from customers. Full Story 

We’re going to use our texting line to keep you updated with the latest pandemic news. Full Story 

Texas families with students relying on free or reduced-cost meals are eligible for a $375 payment in food aid. Families have until Sept. 13 to apply for aid from the 2020-21 school year. Full Story 

Other city and county governments in Texas are offering incentives to unvaccinated people to get a shot. Statewide, vaccination rates have increased modestly. Full Story 

After increasing in January due to the COVID-19 omicron variant, the number of hospitals reporting full ICU units declined after falling short of the August peak, which was caused by the delta variant. Full Story