The latest Greg Abbott news from The Texas Tribune.
The moves, announced Friday morning, represent Abbott's most dramatic action yet in response to a surge in cases after he allowed businesses to reopen in the state. 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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It's a déjà vu moment, with the Texas government making some of the same moves to curb the spread of the coronavirus that it adopted in March — and started to get rid of a month later. The virus is spreading, and the remedies are back. Full Story
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For a second time since the start of the pandemic, Abbott banned elective surgeries to preserve bed space for coronavirus patients. But this time the hold on the nonessential procedures is only in effect for Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties. Full Story
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In early May, Gov. Greg Abbott pointed to the positivity rate — a ratio of positive COVID-19 tests to all tests — and said anything over 10% was cause for alarm. As of Wednesday, Texas exceeded that mark for the first time since April. Full Story
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The tables have turned: Texas previously had similar self-quarantining requirements for hot spots like New York and Louisiana. Now that Texas is the latest hot spot, states are imposing restrictions against travelers from the Lone Star State. Full Story
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Texas government is going in two directions at once, with Gov. Greg Abbott blowing a whistle on rising COVID-19 numbers while top education officials detail plans to open public schools for in-person classes this fall. Full Story
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The governor also moved for the first time to allow the tightening of two kinds of restrictions that had been eased under his reopening plan. Full Story
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Regionally, some hospital officials are reporting that intensive care units are near or over capacity, and local leaders have warned that hospitals could get overwhelmed if the number of infections keeps climbing. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott also issued an order allowing local officials to regulate public outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people. Those officials previously could only regulate events of over 500 people. Full Story
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During an interview with The Texas Tribune, Escobar, D-El Paso, said the state's leadership missed an opportunity to implement robust testing when an emergency was declared. Full Story
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Thousands more Texans tested positive for the new coronavirus over the weekend, and the state has reported 11 consecutive days of record-high hospitalizations. Full Story
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More people are out and about, and coronavirus cases are rising in Texas. But there's an easy way to limit the spread of the virus, if people will set their politics aside: masks. Full Story
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The release last week of audio of two Empower Texans staffers disparaging Gov. Greg Abbott with profanity and jokes about his disability became nearly instant fodder in the fast-approaching runoffs. Full Story
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More than 4,400 positive cases were reported Saturday. The state also set its ninth consecutive record for hospitalizations, but officials say hospital capacity isn't a concern. Full Story
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State and local officials disagree on whether mandating businesses to require employees and customers to wear face masks is a small burden or a threat to their freedom. Full Story
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Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick both denounced the recording, which also includes the staff members using multiple profanities in describing Abbott. Full Story
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Austin's mayor issued a similar order late Wednesday. Local leaders have been asking for the ability to impose more strict mask orders, but Gov. Greg Abbott never publicly mentioned that one option was ordering businesses to require them. Full Story
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As employees test positive, some bars and restaurants are closing even though Texas allows them to operate. Many owners are balancing feedback from their staffs, their patrons, state guidelines and local officials. Full Story
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It’s unclear whether it’ll be worth it for Biden to spend the money to compete in Texas. But a strong showing here could help Democrats flip the state House and solidify control of the U.S. House. Full Story
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