Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus as cases rise in his state, per The Associated Press.
- Officials told The Associated Press that Abbott “is in good health and experiencing no symptoms.”
- Abbott was reportedly vaccinated against COVID-19 in 2020. He has been staying at the governor’s mansion in Austin, Texas, as a way of isolation.
Over the weekend, Abbott tweeted a photo of himself at an indoor event in Dallas. He was not wearing a face mask in that photo.
Another standing room only event in Collin County tonight.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) August 17, 2021
Thank y’all for the enthusiastic reception.
Let's keep this energy up and send a message that Texas values are NOT up for grabs in 2022. pic.twitter.com/wlPZyrHpx3
Is COVID-19 bad in Texas?
Per The Associated Press, there are more than 11,500 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Texas as of Monday. That’s the highest level of hospitalizations for the state since January.
Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, president and chief executive of the Harris Health System, in Houston, told Texas lawmakers last week that the state is running out of options for keeping people safe from COVID-19 because of the hospitalizations.
- “If this continues, and I have no reason to believe that it will not, there is no way my hospital is going to be able to handle this. There is no way the region is going to be able to handle this,” Porsa told state legislators. “I am one of those people that always sees the glass half-full, I always see the silver lining. But I am frightened by what is coming.”
Porsa, the doctor who spoke with state lawmakers, told CNN that the COVID-19 peak numbers have reached winter numbers, too.
- “If this continues to go at the rate that it is right now — and again, I emphasize that I don’t see any intervention, any mitigating interventions being put in place to try to slow this down — this would be a disaster,” he told CNN.