Texas reports almost 5,500 new coronavirus cases in one day

1/ The number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus in Texas has more than doubled since the beginning of June. In the Houston region, hospitals have begun moving coronavirus patients from crowded ICUs to other facilities. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

2/ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other health officials have said there is “abundant” capacity to care for coronavirus patients. But regionally, some hospital officials are reporting that intensive care units are near or over capacity. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

3/ Local leaders have warned that hospitals could get overwhelmed if the number of infections keeps climbing. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

4/ A children’s hospital in Houston said this week it is admitting transfer patients, with and without the virus, to help other facilities manage their capacity. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

5/ The Texas Medical Center in Houston anticipates intensive care unit capacity there could be surpassed in two weeks. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

6/ Large swaths of the state are not reporting a surge in hospitalized coronavirus patients. But health experts and local officials predict a coming crush in some urban areas — like Houston — if the growth in cases doesn’t slow down. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

7/ An Abbott spokesperson said hospitals have been “emphatic” that beds will be available. He also said the governor has made clear “he will utilize tools as necessary to ensure hospitals will provide beds for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19.” https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

8/ Carrie Williams, a spokesperson for the Texas Hospital Association, also said Texas currently has enough hospital capacity. “Right now we’re in good shape, but if this trend continues, it’s not sustainable,” she said. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

9/ In Dallas County, where 470 people were in hospitals as of Tuesday, Judge Clay Jenkins warned last week that “many more people will get sick and die in the coming weeks” if the numbers continue to rise. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

10/ At Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in Houston, ICU patients exceeded bed capacity and patients were temporarily moved to other units or to other hospitals. At Ben Taub Hospital, also in Houston, 76% of ICU beds were full as of Monday. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

11/11 The governor struck a newly worried tone yesterday in a televised press conference, when he said the virus was “spreading at an unacceptable rate.” Read more here. https://bit.ly/2NBlenj 

Coronavirus update: Seven states are reporting new highs for current coronavirus hospitalizations, according to data tracked by The Washington Post — Arizona, Arkansas, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/23/coronavirus-live-updates-us/ …

For the 12th day in a row, Texas is reporting a record number of coronavirus hospitalizations — 4,092. Gov. Abbott is granting local officials more power to limit gatherings of more than 100 people. | @mattlargey https://kutne.ws/3fS08wM 

Texas numbers taking into account surge options say hospital capacity is ample, but regular hospital ICUs in big cities — esp. Houston — are filling up, @ShannonNajma & @SaChampagne report. "We appear to be nearing the tipping point," said one admin. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/23/texas-coronavirus-hospitalizations-icu-houston/ …

Austin's daily updates on new #covid19 cases are "not reflective of the cases we have," health officials say. Blame the fax machine. https://kutne.ws/2Yq5lGc 

.@GovAbbott is putting safety requirements back in place for child care centers, as COVID-19 cases trend up among children and staff. The state had repealed those mandates earlier this month. Background: https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/19/coronavirus-cases-increase-texas-day-cares-state-safety-rules-expire/ … #txed #txlege