Texas Expands Coronavirus Testing Sites In Dallas, Houston

AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has extended federal support of Community-Based Testing Sites in Dallas and Houston through July 31 to screen for the coronavirus.

Abbott previously secured an extension of these sites in June. The move comes amid soaring rates of the respiratory illness statewide since the governor began reopening the coronavirus-stalled economy on May 1. On Saturday, the number of cases of illness since its outset in Texas crossed the 250,000 mark with 99 new deaths reported. A record 10,351 new cases of coronavirus were reported Saturday, with hospitalizations totaling 10,083 — a record level supplanting the 10,002 hospitalizations recorded on Friday.

Harris and Dallas counties have been the hardest hit by the illness scourge, with 42,000 and 31,525 cases, respectively, as of Saturday. The Texas Department of State Health Services is expected to provide updated data by early Sunday evening.

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"The State of Texas is committed to providing ample testing resources as we work to contain the recent surge in COVID-19 cases," Abbott said. "Our continued collaboration with our federal partners is essential to our efforts. The extension of this program in Dallas and Houston will help secure more testing for Texans in these communities. There are over 900 testing sites across the state of Texas, and I urge Texans in need of a test to find a site nearest them."

Related stories:

• Texas Crosses 250K Mark In Coronavirus Cases, 99 New Deaths
• Coronavirus-Fighting Federal Resources Headed For Houston

Texas residents can visit covidtest.tdem.texas.gov for testing locations near them.

On Friday, Abbott dispatched an Urban Area Medical Task Force from the U.S. Department of Defense that's expected to arrive in the region on Monday, along with deployment of a Disaster Medical Assistance Team from U.S. Health and Human Services. The resources add to a Department of Defense Urban Area Medical Task Force that recently starting working in Bexar County as well as seven federal assessment teams operating in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, McAllen, Laredo and El Paso over the past week.