Amid COVID records, Abbott extends ban on some surgeries to four South Texas counties
A day after Texas reported an all-time high of patients hospitalized with the novel coronavirus, Gov. Greg Abbott extended his ban on elective medical procedures to four more counties in the Rio Grande Valley.
To ensure sufficient hospital capacity for to treat COVID-19 patients, Abbott issued a proclamation requiring hospitals in the counties of Cameron, Hidalgo, Nueces and Webb to postpone surgeries and procedures that aren’t medically necessary to correct a serious medical condition or to preserve the life of a patient. Procedures that would not deplete hospital capacity needed for COVID-19 patients are exempt.
Eight counties are now subject to the ban across Texas. Last Thursday, Abbott had suspended elective medical procedures in the counties of Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis. Abbott may issue additional proclamations to add or remove counties.
Hospitalizations reached an all-time high Monday, with 5,913 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. That’s a jump of 416 patients from the 5,497 hospitalized Sunday.
Hospitalizations have risen nearly every day of June, and have more than tripled since the 1,511 COVID-19 patients hospitalized on Memorial Day.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations over Time
Coronavirus daily hospitalization counts in Texas and the larger Trauma Service Areas, beginning April 8, 2020. Data provided by Texas Health and Human Services.
“As these counties experience a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we are committed to working alongside hospitals to help ensure that every COVID-19 patient who needs a bed will have access to one,” Abbott said in a statement Tuesday. “We are constantly monitoring the data at the local level and will continue to take precautionary action where it is necessary.”
Last week’s suspension of elective medical procedures was the second time he had issued such a ban over the course of the pandemic. Abbott had previously stopped them for about a month in late March before relaxing restrictions to allow some to proceed.
Hospitals must reserve at least 15% of their capacity to treat COVID-19 patients.
Tarrant County has not yet been subject to the ban on elective medical procedures. A spokesman for the Governor’s Office did not respond to a request for comment last week about the governor’s confidence in Tarrant County’s hospital capacity.
Local officials have stressed that while hospitalizations have reached record levels in Tarrant County, that capacity is still sufficient.
“In response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we want to reassure the public that this pandemic is not eclipsing our capabilities,” Stephen Love, the CEO and president of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, said in a statement Sunday.
DSHS reported 2,937 available beds, 431 ICU beds and 1,254 available ventilators in the DFW area, in addition to 1,288 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Monday afternoon.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 12:01 PM.
