The latest health care news from The Texas Tribune.
At least two counties – Hidalgo and El Paso – have banned door-to-door trick-or-treating. Others are discouraging participation while promoting safer alternatives such as carving pumpkins or having a candy hunt at home. Full Story
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Broadband access, hospital closures, supporting students in rural schools and the challenges posed by COVID-19 were top of mind at The Texas Tribune’s symposium on rural Texas. Full Story
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Candidates from both parties are bringing up everything from school funding to lemonade stands in the final weeks of a heated contest for control of the state’s lower chamber. Full Story
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Experts say Texas is more prepared to handle another wave. But they fear that if the state fails to control the outbreak, it could quickly spiral out of control. Full Story
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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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Abbott said Friday that the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Division of Emergency Management sent surge resources to the Panhandle and South Plains areas. Full Story
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Experts blame social gatherings like birthday parties and football games for the recent upticks. They say there is widespread fatigue for following stringent guidelines to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid crowded indoor spaces. Full Story
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In addition to greater capacity limits for nonessential businesses, visits to nursing homes and elderly care facilities will be put on hold. Full Story
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In a bitterly contested election overlaid with the fears and risks of an uncontrolled pandemic, Harris County has become a case study in raw politics and partisan efforts to manipulate voter turnout. Full Story
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Gov. Greg Abbott, with the Texas Education Agency and Texas Division of Emergency Management, announced the COVID-19 Rapid Testing Pilot Program on Wednesday. Full Story
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A professional organization of social workers called the change "incredibly disheartening," while Gov. Greg Abbott's office said it was necessary to conform with existing state law. Full Story
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Texas voters' disagreements on candidates are mirrored by differences over top priorities and problems, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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Women in Texas can continue to access the most common procedure used to end a pregnancy in the second trimester, after a federal appeals court Tuesday struck down a state law that would have curtailed its use. Full Story
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Less than half of Texas voters say they'd get a coronavirus vaccine if one were widely available, and 41% believe a vaccine will be announced before it's proven to work, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
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City and county officials said the increase is largely due to residents letting their guard down. Full Story
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A state program that helps with speech and occupational therapy and other services is in need of a new funding strategy, the officials say. They've instructed the state to craft a plan to ensure such services are available for all eligible Texans. Full Story
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While Denton County is moving forward, Dallas and Harris counties officials almost immediately declined the offer to allow bars to reopen. Many others are taking a wait-and-see approach. Full Story
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“It is time to open them up,” Abbott said in a Facebook video announcing the move. “If we continue to contain COVID, then these openings, just like other businesses, should be able to expand in the near future.” Full Story
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The order temporarily blocks a lower court’s ruling that would have gone into effect Oct. 14 and forced Texas to provide more protective measures against the coronavirus at a geriatric prison. Full Story
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State officials are asking doctors, nurses and pharmacists to identify “critical populations” as they predict an initial shortage of coronavirus vaccine doses. Full Story
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