Under the state’s vaccine distribution plan, vulnerable people, including health care workers, older people and people with underlying medical conditions, would likely be the first to get the vaccine in the early months that it’s available. Full Story
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The state's second attempt at reporting known COVID-19 cases among students and staff doesn't get much closer to helping the public understand how or whether infections are spreading in Texas public schools. Full Story
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Local health officials describe the electronic system as “cumbersome,” “archaic” and “really slow," though its performance has improved since it was upgraded in August. Full Story
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Budget cuts meant skimpier caches of protective equipment, and Texas' chronic shortage of public health workers has made the response more difficult, experts said. Full Story
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The state's public health experts are changing their calculation of one of the governor's go-to measures of the spread of coronavirus. It's an improvement, but the new version has some bugs of its own. Full Story
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The Texas Department of State Health Services said it will now rely on a calculation that takes into account the date on which a coronavirus test was administered, rather than when it was reported. Full Story
One key COVID-19 metric is trending downward, but experts worry that Labor Day gatherings and school reopenings could cause cases to spike again. Full Story
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The state disclosed a backlog of more than 850,000 tests this month, which were delayed in part because of coding or formatting errors and a lengthy onboarding process needed to receive reports from laboratories. Full Story
Without numbers on how many children or staff are in Texas child care facilities — which the state does not report — it’s hard to gauge the magnitude of infections. Full Story
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In the weekend edition of The Brief podcast, listen to why Ambra Hernandez felt compelled to launch a Facebook group to help teachers fulfill their longer-than-normal wish lists. Full Story
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The governor also said that testing is down statewide possibly because of the closure of some temporary testing sites created in July that targeted various coronavirus hotspots. Full Story
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The news comes as Texas resumes limited visitations in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities that meet certain requirements. Full Story
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It’s hard to collect good numbers on an unknown virus, and Texas health officials have made errors. But experts say the state’s coronavirus data is useful as long as users understand its limitations. Full Story
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Not only are Hispanic Texans catching the coronavirus at higher rates in the state's largest county, but they also suffer some of the worst outcomes. Full Story
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Hispanic Texans are overrepresented in the state's updated fatality count, making up 48% of deaths, but only 40% of the state's population. Full Story
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The busiest hospitals in Houston are increasingly telling emergency responders they cannot safely accept new patients as hundreds of coronavirus patients crowd emergency rooms, and hospitals scramble to open more intensive care space. Full Story
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State health officials say they have enough workers to meet current needs, but some local health departments are scrambling to keep up. With 2,800 workers, Texas is still short of the governor's goal to have 4,000 people contact tracing. Full Story
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Months into the pandemic, demand for coronavirus tests is soaring. Texans report problems with almost every facet of the testing process, starting with the glitching websites and unanswered phone lines used to schedule appointments, and extending to long lags before test results come back. Full Story
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“We can protect Texans’ lives while also restoring their livelihoods,” Abbott said this week. As cases surge, the question has become: How many Texans’ lives? Full Story
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The 14-day trend line shows new infections in Texas have risen about 71% in the past two weeks. Full Story
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