In fabric shops and on factory floors, the race is on to make and manufacture personal protective equipment in Texas before supplies run out for those on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak.
Coronavirus in Texas
As the coronavirus spread across the state, The Texas Tribune covered the most important health, economic, academic and breaking developments that affected Texans. Our map tracker showed the number of cases, deaths, tests and vaccinations in Texas from 2020-22.
Watch Texas Gov. Greg Abbott provide a coronavirus update
Abbott is set to provide an update on the state’s response to the new coronavirus at 2 p.m. in Austin. He’ll be joined by the commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services and the head of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
The number of Texans filing for unemployment increased 860% in a week
Two weeks ago, 16,176 Texans filed for new unemployment benefits. But just one week later — after leaders shut down businesses across the state to slow the spread of the new coronavirus — that number jumped up to 155,657 out-of-work people filing for unemployment relief.
Texas campaigns prepare for more uncertainty after runoff reset by coronavirus
With the runoff date pushed back seven weeks, the coronavirus pandemic continues to cast a long shadow over Texas politics.
Texas schools get OK to give free meals to parents when kids aren’t present
Federal officials had previously approved a waiver allowing school districts to hand out curbside breakfasts and lunches to parents who show up. Now districts have more flexibility on how and what they feed students in free and reduced-price meals while schools are temporarily closed statewide.
Abortion providers sue Texas over coronavirus-related order
Attorney General Ken Paxton said this week that abortions should not be performed unless the mother’s life is in danger, saying health care capacity needs to be preserved for COVID-19 patients.
Coronavirus in Texas 3/25: Unemployment claims surge
Our staff is closely tracking developments on the new coronavirus in Texas. Check here for live updates.
Migrants say COVID-19 fears led to disturbance in Texas immigration detention center
About 60 detainees in the South Texas ICE Processing Center staged an uprising this week. Some detainees say fear of infection sparked the incident; Immigration and Customs Enforcement disputes that account.
Texas hospitals plan to add beds, eye vacated buildings as they prepare for a possible influx in coronavirus cases
The efforts to quickly add capacity come after Gov. Greg Abbott waived hospitals’ occupancy restrictions Sunday and ordered health care providers to postpone surgeries that are not “immediately, medically necessary.”
Texas hospitals brace for coronavirus surge with uncertain stocks of protective gear
“’I will give you X number, you are to make these last for however long,’” a Panhandle hospital executive told one of his clinics when it sought more respirators. “We’ve got to ration these resources.”

