Texas Governor Greg Abbott is promising the state is following the standards laid out by the Centers for Disease Control when it comes to coronavirus.
"Gov. Greg Abbott addressed a group of doctors and health officials in a DPS warehouse at Airport Boulevard and Denson Drive.
Boxes of medical supplies were stacked behind the governor, DSHS Commissioner John Hellerstedt and Texas Department of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. Some of the boxes were unloaded to display N95 masks, medical gloves and medical wipes.
Eight doctors, many in white coats, were lined around the medical supplies behind the governor.
The governor told reporters today it was important for people to stay at home and not spread the virus through the state. Multiple counties and cities have issued stay at home orders this week due to the virus. Some have urged Abbott to issue a statewide stay at home order similar to other states, but he said his earlier orders are close to what other communities are enacting and a statewide order is not needed at this point. Governor Abbott says he is concerned with the number of cars he sees on the roadways and may consider additional measures if the steps taken so far don't have the needed impact..
Abbott said 65 Texas counties have been impacted by the new coronavirus. There have been 11 deaths and 715 positive tests.
“You can expect the number of tests to continue to go up every day,” he said.
"Gov. Abbott recognized the difference in the number of positive COVID-19 tests reported by the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard, saying the Johns Hopkins provides "additional cases that may not yet be confirmed" and may include cases of people who have been brought into the state from cruise ships.
"The people who are administering the COVID-19 tests to the patients must be wearing this personal protection equipment," he said. "I am proud to say that we are loaded with a lot of equipment."
The governor said a supply of 10,000 masks and personal protection equipment was shipped out across the state last night. He added that the state has created a "supply chain strike force," which will get an additional 100,000 masks per day.
"Altogether, next week, Texas should be getting more than a million masks per week," he said.
Medical groups have offered up the masks and medical gear, including the Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Texas Medical Association. Dr. Luis Rios, president of the Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons, delivered 1,000 masks, 1,000 gloves and hundreds of gowns, the governor said.
Photo: Texas Governor's Office