Associations for Texas hospitals, nurses urge Abbott for statewide stay-at-home order

Mar. 31--The associations representing thousands of Texas nurses and hospital workers sent a letter Tuesday urging Gov. Greg Abbott to issue a statewide stay-at-home order as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rises.

Signed by Ted Shaw, the president and CEO of the Texas Hospital Association, and Cindy Zolnierek, the CEO of the Texas Nurses Association, the letter says that the time for such an order has come.

"With surging counts and projections -- and news of community pockets that are not heeding the warning to distance -- a statewide stay-at-home policy will send a clear message about the seriousness of the threat. Ultimately, it will save lives," the letter reads.

As of Tuesday morning, there were at least 2,877 confirmed cases across 124 of Texas' 254 counties, 38 related deaths and roughly 35,880 Texans who have been tested for COVID-19, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services' count.

Abbott has deferred to local officials to determine whether stay-at-home orders are necessary for their communities, and during a press conference Sunday said that "about 75% of the state of Texas is under the umbrella of what would be categorized as a stay-at-home policy," because of local orders.

But Abbott has faced mounting pressure from the heads of hospital systems, lawmakers and local officials to establish uniform statewide measures, while more than 30 governors nationwide have already taken such a step for their states.

"The Texas health care community is becoming increasingly concerned as Texas case counts continue to climb and frontline supplies continue to wane. Modeling projections for Texas plus experiences unfolding in New York are dire," THA and TNA's letter reads.

A spokesman for Abbott's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday morning.

Abbott has taken actions that have been statewide in scope, including issuing a sweeping executive order that temporarily closes all Texas schools and gyms, prohibits dining-in at bars and restaurants, limits social gatherings to 10 people and restricts visits to nursing homes through April 3.

And while Abbott has also taken steps in an effort to increase hospital bed capacity and bolster Texas' healthcare workforce, THA and TNA's letter stresses that the most effective way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus is for people to stay at home.

It was a measure that the mayors of Fort Worth, Arlington, Dallas as well as the heads of local hospital systems, including JPS Health Network, Texas Health Resources, Cook Children's Health Care System had also pushed for in a letter earlier this month.

The groups had pointed to the healthcare system's ability to handle a surge in cases, and it was a similar concern that 65 members of the House Democratic Caucus had also pointed to in a letter of their own last week.

Abbott has maintained he is willing to be flexible in his response, and previously said that more time was needed to assess the effect of his recent statewide restrictions. At a press conference last week, Abbott had suggested that a failure to comply with those restrictions may require stricter measures.

And during a press conference Sunday, Abbott said that he was waiting, in part, to see what action is taken at a federal level.

"We are awaiting to see what, if anything, they announce," Abbott said. "And then our analysis in the state of Texas will be based in part on what the CDC announces, what the president's strike force team in response to coronavirus announces and then in consultation with Dr. Hellerstedt. Just know that we constantly monitor this. We are ready and flexible to take any action that may be needed to make sure that Texans remain safe."

Later that day, President Donald Trump extended social distancing guidelines through April 30. Abbott is expected to provide an update on the state's coronavirus response Tuesday at 2 p.m. from the Texas Capitol.

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