The latest health care news from The Texas Tribune.
The bar owners say in the lawsuit that Abbott's order violates their constitutional rights and "may very well leave long-term scarring on the Republican form of government if left unchecked." Full Story
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State health officials say they have enough workers to meet current needs, but some local health departments are scrambling to keep up. With 2,800 workers, Texas is still short of the governor's goal to have 4,000 people contact tracing. Full Story
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One day after The Texas Tribune reported that the Texas Medical Association was a sponsor for the indoor convention that is expected to draw 6,000 people, the doctors' group announced it was calling on organizers to cancel. Full Story
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Elective procedures are now banned in eight counties around the state — Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Travis, Cameron, Hidalgo, Nueces and Webb. Full Story
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Austin won't give tests to people who are asymptomatic. Dallas and Houston officials said their facilities reached capacity in the middle of the day. Full Story
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The Texas Medical Association, the state's largest medical group, said it is hopeful convention attendees will wear masks and practice social distancing. Full Story
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At the beginning of the pandemic, local officials across the state implemented stay-at-home orders for their regions. But now, with cases across Texas' metros surging, those leaders say Abbott has stripped them of the authority to reinstate the same measures. Full Story
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The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law Monday that would have curtailed access to abortions in the state. It was nearly identical to a measure the court overturned in Texas in 2016. Full Story
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The vice president spoke at Baptist church led by an ardent supporter of President Donald Trump and then met with Gov. Greg Abbott about the dire coronavirus situation in Texas. Full Story
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Months into the pandemic, demand for coronavirus tests is soaring. Texans report problems with almost every facet of the testing process, starting with the glitching websites and unanswered phone lines used to schedule appointments, and extending to long lags before test results come back. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott is allowing limits on outdoor crowds — but not indoor gatherings. His party's convention — with an expected attendance of 6,000 — so far will not require attendees to wear face masks. Full Story
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The Associated Press reported that a judge wrote in her order that migrant detention centers “are ‘on fire’ and there is no more time for half measures.” Full Story
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"If I could go back and redo anything, it probably would have been to slow down the opening of bars," Abbott said in a TV interview Friday evening. Full Story
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The vice president was already scheduled to speak Sunday at First Baptist Dallas, though his trip is taking on a more somber tone as the state scrambles to respond to what Gov. Greg Abbott has described as a "massive outbreak" of coronavirus cases. Full Story
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A bipartisan group of elected officials in Texas had urged the federal government not to close the sites. Full Story
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New cases in Texas are approaching 6,000 per day, and nearly two-thirds of them have been recorded in 11 counties over the past two weeks. Full Story
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The moves, announced Friday morning, represent Abbott's most dramatic action yet in response to a surge in cases after he allowed businesses to reopen in the state. Full Story
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“The setting will be similar to a Medical-Surgical Unit with a capability of treating critical care patients," reads a description for a 100-bed site in Austin, according to an email obtained by The Texas Tribune. Full Story
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“We can protect Texans’ lives while also restoring their livelihoods,” Abbott said this week. As cases surge, the question has become: How many Texans’ lives? Full Story
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For a second time since the start of the pandemic, Abbott banned elective surgeries to preserve bed space for coronavirus patients. But this time the hold on the nonessential procedures is only in effect for Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties. Full Story
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