Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced a series of actions to mitigate the rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.
He sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association in which he asked hospital to voluntarily postpone elective medical procedures — unless a delay would result in loss of life or the deterioration of a patient's condition.
In a news release, the governor’s office also said Texas plans to open additional COVID-19 antibody infusion centers. The existing infusion center in Lubbock will expand capacity this week, and the state will launch five new centers, beginning with a facility in San Antonio.
The infusion centers treat COVID-19 patients with therapeutic drugs that can prevent their condition from worsening and requiring hospital care, which should increase bed capacity for the sickest patients, the governor’s office said.
In another move to increase hospital capacity, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) plans to use staffing agencies to provide medical personnel from out-of-state to Texas healthcare facilities to assist in COVID-19 operations.
