AUSTIN – As COVID-19 cases increase in Texas, Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday that he is taking action to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Here are the following actions the governor announced for the state:

  • Texas Department of State Health Services will use recruiting agencies to provide out-of-state medical personnel to health facilities in Texas to assist with COVID-19 operations.

  • Abbott has called on the Texas Hospital Association to ask hospitals to voluntarily postpone elective medical procedures in order to increase hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients.

  • Abbott will ask the Texas Emergency Management Division and the DSHS to open additional COVID-19 antibody infusion centers in communities across the state. These centers should treat COVID-19 patients who do not need to be hospitalized with therapeutic drugs that can prevent their condition from worsening and requiring hospital care, according to a statement. According to the governor, the centers will also help increase the bed capacity in hospitals so that resources are available for the sickest patients. Lubbock’s existing fusion center will increase capacity this week, and DSHS will launch five new centers across Texas, starting with San Antonio on Tuesday.

“The State of Texas is taking action to combat the recent increase in COVID-19 cases and ensure our hospitals and communities have the resources and support they need to mitigate the virus,” Abbott said . “Texans can help bolster our efforts by getting vaccinated against COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and it is our best defense against this virus. Texans can visit covidvaccine.texas.gov to find a COVID-19 vaccine supplier near them. “