Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Cases Spike In Texas, One Children's Hospital Now Taking Adults
ABC News: Texas Children's Hospital Now Taking Adult Patients As Coronavirus Cases Rise
The rise in new COVID-19 cases in Texas has gotten so taxing that a children's hospital in Houston is now admitting adult patients. The Texas Children's Hospital said it opened up its intensive care unit and acute care-beds to adults who are suffering from the virus. Houston has 14,322 confirmed cases to date and over the last two weeks has seen a record number of new daily cases that average over 200 a day, according to the Houston Health Department. (Pereira, 6/23)
NPR: 5,489 New COVID-19 Cases: Texas Reports All-Time Daily High
"Today, Texas will report an all-time high in the number of cases of people testing positive" for the coronavirus, Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday, adding that for the first time, his state would surpass 5,000 new cases in a single day. Hours later, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 5,489 new cases. Abbott initially revealed the daunting new record during an interview with TV station KBTX in which he urged people to take the deadly disease seriously, telling them to wear a mask in public, stay home when possible and take other precautions. (Chappell, 6/23)
WBUR: 5,489 New COVID-19 Cases: Texas Reports All-Time Daily High
Texas is seeing a sharp rise in cases; it was just days ago that the state crossed the 4,000-case mark for the first time in its daily tally. New cases have hit the Houston area so hard that the Texas Children's Hospital is now admitting adult patients. The move comes despite the fact that Houston is home to the massive Texas Medical Center — deemed the largest medical center in the world. (Chappell, 6/23)
Houston Chronicle: Spike In Houston COVID-19 Cases ‘Damn Scary,’ Rep. Pete Olson Tells Anthony Fauci At Hearing
The rising number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Houston has U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, ringing an alarm with the nation’s top infectious disease experts in Washington who last month were praising the city’s efforts to contain the virus. During a U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee meeting Tuesday, Olson warned that the current trajectory of cases in Houston has the city on pace to be one of the worst affected cities in the nation if something doesn’t change. Olson said there are experts comparing Houston’s situation to Brazil’s. (Wallace, 6/23)
Dallas Morning News: Coronavirus Hospitalizations Continue To Rise In Dallas County, Including A Swell In ICU Patients
The number of hospitalized coronavirus patients in Dallas County was at a record high once again Tuesday, with a spike in the number of people being treated in intensive care units. The county reported 445 new cases of COVID-19, as well as seven deaths from the virus. (Jones and Steele, 6/23)
Dallas Morning News: A Plan For COVID-19 And Beyond: Keep Employees Working At Home
As COVID-19 continues to surge here, UT Southwestern Medical Center is warning about “alarming” trends and urging residents to stay vigilant, especially around the July Fourth holiday. Its doctors also had a message for business: Keep employees working at home if you can. While that approach won’t fly in some industries, many others have embraced remote work. It’s helping them get through the pandemic and slowing the potential spread of the disease. (Schnurman, 6/23)
Houston Chronicle: Lawmakers Protest As Feds Pull Support From 4 Harris County COVID Testing Sites
The Trump administration is planning to end federal support for local coronavirus testing sites across the nation at the end of the month — including seven in Texas, where confirmed cases of COVID are spiking. Texas officials are urging the White House to rethink the move, warning of “catastrophic cascading consequences” of pulling federal support for testing sites, four of which are in Houston and Harris County and administer thousands of tests per day. City officials consider two of those sites — the largest in the city, administering up to 500 tests each per day — the backbone of Houston’s testing efforts. (Wermund, 6/23)
Houston Chronicle: TEA Draft Leaves Most Rules For Fighting Coronavirus In Schools To Local Leaders
Texas leaders expect public schools to re-open for in-person classes in August, but appear willing to leave many of the health and safety decisions for combating the ongoing coronavirus outbreak to local education officials, including whether to require students and faculty to wear face masks. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath was expected to release formal safety guidelines Tuesday regarding the opening of public schools in the upcoming 2020-21 academic year, but backed off in the face of rising COVID-19 cases across the state. (Webb, 6/23)
Houston Chronicle: Commissioner Cagle Implores Harris County Residents To Use ‘Common Sense’ To Fight Coronavirus
Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle updated Harris County’s efforts to corral the novel coronavirus and flood mitigation efforts at the virtual State of the County Lunch-In held by the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. Cagle shared that he has personally seen the impact of the coronavirus. (Mehrtens , 6/23)
