With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to affect everyday life, Texas legislators know that it won’t be business as usual at the Capitol during the 2021 legislative session. But how different things will be is still an issue they’re working to resolve.
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.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott has closed Texas bars twice since the pandemic began. Now he’s hinting at opening them again.
Abbott shut down bars for a second time in June, when the proportion of coronavirus tests with positive results was more than 18%. That number has dropped to just over 6%. Experts worry that opening bars will contribute to another surge.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas colleges offer free coronavirus tests. Why aren’t more students getting tested?
Halfway through the semester, schools are reporting participation rates far below their goals, prompting at least one school to go so far as to offer prizes to students who volunteer to get a coronavirus test.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: Greg Abbott’s latest retreat comes at the expense of Texas voters
Given the opportunity to make it easier to vote in Texas’ 2020 general election, to leave the election process alone or to make it harder to vote, the governor chose the third option.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Watch Tony Gonzales, Gina Ortiz Jones debate as they vie to replace U.S. Rep. Will Hurd
The Navy and Air Force veterans running to represent Texas’ 23rd Congressional District highlight their differing views on the economy and deaths at Fort Hood in our “Split Decision” video series.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Analysis: The confounding commotion around voting in Texas
Voting and election cases are piled up in the courts in Texas, and the days between now and Nov. 3 are growing short. Some of the rules could change while we’re voting. But vote anyhow.
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Coronavirus in Texas
President Donald Trump hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19
Trump’s physician late Friday said the president was “doing very well.” State officials from both parties said earlier in the day that they were praying for Trump.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas leaders hope rapid testing will restore normalcy in the pandemic. Health experts caution the tests have limitations.
Gov. Greg Abbott has touted that Texas is set to receive millions of new rapid antigen coronavirus tests every month that deliver results in as little as 15 minutes.
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Coronavirus in Texas
September sales tax revenue in Texas down 6.1% from a year ago
“The COVID-19 pandemic and low price of crude oil continue to weigh on the Texas economy and sales tax revenue,” Comptroller Glenn Hegar said.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Medical schools, hospitals and plenty of coronavirus: How Texas became a leading COVID-19 research hub
Two new trials in the Houston area are recruiting participants to study whether giving people infusions of blood from recovered COVID-19 patients can help treat early-stage infections or even prevent people from catching the disease.