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10:37 p.m. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced that three more employees and one additional offender tested positive for COVID-19.

In total, 13 TDCJ employees, staff or contractors and three offenders in custody have tested positive. The new cases announced Wednesday include a correctional officer at the Jordan Unit in Pampa. The 34-year-old worked at the facility on Friday March 27 and was sent home after entry screening showed a 101.2 temperature. The officer was seen by a doctor and tested on March 28. The officer is at home in good condition in self-quarantine.

The other patients were identified as a 52-year-old correctional officer at the Stringfellow Unit in Rosharon, a laundry supervisor at the Murray Unit in Gatesville and an offender at the Stringfellow Unit. The offender was taken to an outside hospital Tuesday after suffering from respiratory distress and remains hospitalized in good condition, according to the agency.

"The agency is taking appropriate action to mitigate the potential exposure to others including following the Centers for Disease Control guidelines for management of COVID-19 in correctional facilities," the agency said. "As TDCJ learns of new positive tests, contact investigations are being conducted to determine which individuals may have been exposed to the virus."

10:20 p.m. Starting tomorrow, Laredo residents will have to wear a nose or mouth covering if they enter any building that is not their house -- or risk a criminal penalty, reports the Laredo Morning Times.

In place of a mask, people can also wear a bandana, a scarf or even a spare piece of fabric as long as it covers their nose and mouth, the paper reported. Those not in compliance can be fined up to $1,000. The city appears to be one of the first to adopt such a mandate.

9:28 p.m. A 14th Houston police officer has tested positive for COVID-19 and is hospitalized, Chief Art Acevedo said.

"Please pray for him, his family and everyone being impacted by this virus," the chief said.

Just received notice that a 14th sworn member of @houstonpolice is positive for #COVIDー19 and has been hospitalized. Please pray for him, his family and everyone being impacted by this virus. #RelationalPolicing #InItTogether — Chief Art Acevedo (@ArtAcevedo) April 2, 2020

9:06 p.m. Fort Bend County has extended its stay home order through the end of April, County Judge K.P. George announced.

8:48 p.m. A new free testing site opens 10 a.m. tomorrow at Forest Brook Middle School, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's Office announced.

Lee created the site at 7525 Tidwell in partnership with United Memorial Medical Center and the Houston Independent School District.

“My office will continue advocating for more testing sites throughout the Houston area and to secure the proper resources for the treatment of this dreadful virus," Lee said Wednesday in a statement, which later added, "I am familiar with the critical importance testing poses to the people of Houston and Harris County in mitigating the spread of COVID-19."

7:56 p.m. Since noon, the statewide COVID-19 case tally rose from 4,123 to 4,525. Three additional deaths makes 68 total COVID-19 fatalities in the state. The Houston region's count is 1,396, up 243 from yesterday. Harris County added 167 new cases today.

7:33 p.m. Gov. Greg Abbott released a new video Wednesday clarifying that his executive order issued on Tuesday “requires all Texans to stay at home” except for essential activities, reports the Chronicle's Jeremy Wallace.

“Now, I know this is a great sacrifice but we must respond to this challenge with strength and with resolve,” Abbott said in the 48-second video.

Abbott’s order goes into effect at midnight on Thursday morning. With that, Texas now joins 37 other states that have enacted statewide stay-at-home orders. Mississippi, Georgia and Florida were among those to join that list on Wednesday. Read more.

7:04 p.m. The music festival JMBLYA, initially slated for May 1-3 in cities including Houston, will be pushed back to the fall, organizers announced.

Entering its eighth year, the festival was scheduled to take place in Austin and Dallas, in addition to Houston. Acts like A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Lil Tecca, Don Toliver and Lil TJay were on the lineup.

New dates have not yet been set.

"We believe this is the best decision for everyone, and thank you for your patience while we work to bring you another epic year of the festival," according to a prepared statement in the announcement. "We will be able to share our new dates soon, and rest assured all tickets will be honored accordingly. In the meantime, please remain safe, healthy, sane, and don't eat all your quarantine snacks."

6:08 p.m. Those on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic can now rely on an infusion of Girl Scout cookies to get through the day.

Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council is providing cookie care packages to thousands of healthcare workers, first responders, grocery store employees and other organizations contributing to the effort throughout southeast Texas. The local Girl Scouts are asking the public to purchase and donate cookies online, through their Cookies4Heroes program. The care packages will be safely delivered and will include a dozen boxes of donated cookies and a handmade card from a Girl Scout.

5:18 p.m. The University of Houston-Victoria will close 5 p.m. Wednesday through April 30, except for "essential personnel," according to a news release.

Employees have been asked to work from home if possible. Essential services at the university that will continue include Housing and Dining Operations, Information Technology, Facilities Services, Mail Delivery, Financial Services, Admissions, Records and Financial Aid.

5:16 p.m. The Galveston County Health District reported 12 new positive coronavirus cases Wednesday, bringing the county’s case total to 118, reports the Chronicle's Nick Powell. The county also announced that five people have recovered from the virus. In total, 26 of the county’s 118 cases have recovered.Galveston County’s new coronavirus cases include four linked to community spread and seven linked to contact with a known positive COVID-19 case.

To date, 1,206 Galveston County residents have been tested. This number does not include Galveston County residents who may have been tested outside the county.

5:13 p.m. Fort Bend County Health & Human Services department reported 31 additional coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing their total to 194 positive coronavirus cases. There are 9 people who have recovered from the illness and two deaths in the county.

5:09 p.m. The Houston City Council took several steps today to prepare for a worsening surge of positive cases here, reports the Chronicle's Dylan McGuinness. They included leasing two hotels for quarantine space, withdrawing $5 million from the city’s rainy day fund and removing rims from basketball courts in city parks.

“What we are doing in Houston and regionally is working,” Turner said. “We have to keep doing it for the next 30 days. Things could easily get worse if we do not practice social distancing.”

Read more.

5:07 p.m. Galveston County announced Wednesday that it would be extending its stay-at-home order through April 30, reports the Chronicle's Nick Powell.

5:05 p.m. The Brazoria County Health Department reported 14 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, bringing the countywide case total to 109, reports the Chronicle's Nick Powell. Of the 14 new cases, one person was hospitalized. The county added that 5 additional individuals have fully recovered and released from home isolation. In total, 15 Brazoria County residents have recovered from the virus.

5:04 p.m. A Houston emergency room nurse is fighting for his life after developing symptoms last week that included dragging fatigue and a low-grade fever he couldn't shake, reports the Chronicle's Jenny Deam.

He had worked nine days straight, testing patients with symptoms of the new coronavirus. The hospital wasn't able to find a special N-95 mask that fit him. By Saturday night, March 28, he was barely able to lift his head, coughing up blood, staining the pillowcases. Read more.

4:54 p.m. Houston City Hall put money behind its “Wash your hands” mantra Wednesday with city council approval of an emergency purchase of $64,000 worth of hand sanitizer to curb the spread of COVID-19, reports the Chronicle's Dylan McGuinness.

The city will use the 500 gallons of sanitizer to set up hand-washing stations across Houston, dispatching it to “all major City facilities, outreach stations, and anywhere it is needed,” according to the agenda item outlining the purchase.

4:31 p.m. A bit of good news: The repaving of Westheimer outside of Loop 610 will speed up with fewer people on the road, reports the Chronicle's Dug Begley.

The roadway will have round-the-clock construction starting Thursday, which officials hope can make a planned resurfacing slightly less painful. Westheimer, also known as FM 1093 outside Loop 610 and managed by the Texas Department of Transportation, had been scheduled for a lengthy and complex rebuild to Dairy Ashford, with crews working only at night. Now they can shift a 24-hour schedule. Read more.

4:14 p.m. Harris County Public Health announced 86 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the county total to 389 positive cases, including two deaths. Officials said 74 patients have recovered. Find more statistics on the county's online dashboard.

.@hcphtx reports 86 new cases of COVID-19, bringing total to 389 in Harris County (not including city of Houston. Two deaths, and 74 patients recovered. — Samantha Ketterer (@sam_kett) April 1, 2020

3:57 p.m. Montgomery County Public Health officials confirmed 17 new cases of the novel conronavirus Wednesday and the county’s first two deaths, reports the Chronicle's Catherine Dominguez. Both deaths were residents of a senior living facility in The Woodlands.

The county’s total case count is 110. Of those cases, 93 are still active, 15 remain hospitalized, 15 have recovered and 78 are in self-isolation.

3:50 p.m. On March 4, the first positive case of the new coronavirus was reported in the Houston region. It took less than a month for the total number of cases to surpass 1,000, including nine deaths . That doesn't include deaths of two residents of a Montgomery County senior-living community announced Wednesday.

While the numbers fall short of representing how many area residents are actually sick from COVID-19, the steep climb reflects more than the expansion of testing, said Philip Keiser, the local health authority for Galveston County. Read more from the Chronicle's Nicole Hensley and Emily Foxhall.

3:46 p.m. The Texas Workforce Commission said it will now backdate unemployment claims to the date that workers were laid off, in an apparent revision to its previous position, reports the Chronicle's Erin Douglas. The agency will date payments for unemployment benefits from the time of the worker’s separation of employment, a spokesperson said late Tuesday night in a statement. Read more.

3:35 p.m. The Houston Federal Courthouse is closed after someone who works there tested positive for COVID-19, according to a notice sent to attorneys obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

The building will reopen to the public April 10 or April 13, the notice said. Beginning tomorrow, judges and staff are asked to stay out of the building for a 72-hour period.

3:26 p.m. The city of Houston reported 81 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the city's total to 458. No new deaths have been reported.

3:17: p.m.: Domestic violence victims are reporting abuse cases at a higher rate in the Houston region since the COVID-19 stay-at-home order took effect last week, reporter Hannah Dellinger writes. Law-enforcement officials and advocates say there’s been a significant increase in the number of domestic violence hotline calls and requests for emergency housing since social isolation since early March.

2:30 p.m.: University of Texas at Austin researchers are building a new type of ventilator made of cheap and widely available materials, such as windshield wipers. Ventilators, in short supply, are necessary when patients cannot breathe on their own and need a device to physically pump oxygen into the lungs.

2:08 p.m.: A second juvenile has tested positive for the new coronavirus at the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center, reports Samantha Ketterer. Juvenile detention authorities confirmed the results Wednesday, adding that the juvenile is now in medical isolation at the facility. People in contact with the youth at the unit have been notified, as well as all parents of the youth at the unit, according to a news release.

The infected patient began feeling ill on Sunday and was immediately isolated, county officials said. The positive results were received Tuesday.

One employee has also tested positive at the facility.

2:00 p.m.: Montgomery County officials announced the county's first deaths related to the coronavirus. Two men, who were residents of the Conservatory at Alden Bridge, died. One man was in his 90s and the other man was in his 80s, officials said.

1:57 p.m.: The Texas Supreme Court issued an emergency order Wednesday delaying the statute of limitations on cases from March 13 and beyond to June 1, statehouse reporter Taylor Goldenstein reports. A previous order had left the issue up to trial courts, a decision that nine bar association and specialized law organization leaders had opposed. The order leaves room for Chief Justice Nathan Hecht to extend the deadline further.

1:51 p.m.: Judge Lina Hidalgo signed an order Wednesday directing the Harris County Jail to release some low-risk inmates to mitigate the spread of coronavirus. It may take up to 32 hours for the relevant agencies to weigh in and allow eligible people to leave the downtown campus of the third largest jail in the country, Gabrielle Banks reports.

1:40 p.m.: Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough debunked information circulating on social media Wednesday that his office enacted martial law calling it “dishonest and threatening.” Keough urged residents to stay calm and check the county’s website for accurate information.

1:19 p.m.: Houston ISD again will provide food to families at the district’s campuses starting Monday, ending a brief suspension of meal distribution due to safety concerns, reports Jacob Carpenter.

1:10 p.m.: The statewide total of coronavirus cases has risen from 3,796 to 4,123. Nine additional deaths brings the statewide total to 65. The number of people tested in Texas increased by 4,865 to 47,857.

12:55 p.m.: Texas launched an automated virtual assistant to help Texans sign up for unemployment insurance. The chatbot can answer common questions about the unemployment benefits process. Calls to the Texas Workforce Commission, which administers unemployment benefits, rose “to the millions” within a week, state officials said, as closures necessary to slow the spread of the virus leave hundreds of thousands of Texans out of a job.

12:27 p.m.: Insurance companies offering exclusive provider network (EPO) and health maintenance organization (HMO) insurance plans must cover COVID-19 testing and related doctor’s office visits under new guidelines issued Wednesday by the Texas Department of Insurance. To comply with federal regulations on private health insurance plans, patients must be able to get testing without paying deductibles, co-insurance or co-pays, Gwendolyn Wu reports.

12:16 p.m.: A coalition of legal aid providers have set up a toll-free legal assistance hotline for low-income families and individuals in Texas who are confronted with civil legal problems as a result of the pandemic. People may call 800-504-7030 toll-free to be connected with legal service providers in their area. Legal assistance includes issues with bankruptcy, unemployment, medical claims, child custody, foreclosure, landlord-tenant problems and public benefits.

12:12 p.m.: A city of Cleveland employee tested positive for COVID-19, officials said. The employee, who has been isolated at home and is currently experiencing mild symptoms, is one of four confirmed positive tests of coronavirus cases in Liberty County. Cleveland is about 50 miles northeast of downtown Houston.

12:10 p.m.: Houston oilfield service company Baker Hughes is joining the ranks of other manufacturers using spare 3D printers to make plastic face shields and other gear to protect healthcare workers from the coronavirus.

12:00 p.m.: Fort Bend officials say the first day of COVID-19 testing at the only county-supported drive-thru site was a success. The county opened the site to healthcare professionals and first responders for a soft launch on Monday and conducted 30 tests that day, reports Rebecca Hennes. The site, which is run by appointment only and able to conduct 100 tests per day, opened to the general public on Tuesday.

11:54 a.m.: As new home purchases slow, real estate agents in Montgomery County are trying to keep business going during the coronavirus outbreak by providing virtual tours, driving in separate vehicles from clients, and taking extra precautions to keep the homes clean and sanitized.

11:25 a.m.: Matagorda County, which was the first county in Texas to report a coronavirus death, reported its second death. The man who died Tuesday night at Matagorda Regional Medical Center was between the ages of 70 and 75, officials report. Matagorda County, which is about 85 miles southwest of downtown Houston and includes Bay City, has 29 positive cases of COVID-19 at this time, county officials report.

10:53 a.m.: Mayor Sylvester Turner said the City's parks department has started taking down rims on basketball courts, reports Dylan McGuinness.

10:45 a.m.: Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles said on NBC’s “Today” show that postponing the Olympics was the "right decision." Biles said she wept after learning the 2020 Olympic Games would be delayed for a year but agreed with the International Olympic Committee.

10:35 a.m.: The City of Houston finalized deals with two hotels to lease 186 rooms for COVID-19 quarantine space, reports Dylan McGuinness. The rooms could be used for first responders and city employees who are not able to quarantine at home. Mayor Sylvester Turner said some rooms could be used to house the city’s homeless population, as well.

10:24 a.m.: While UTHealth research estimates Houston will hit a peak of COVID-19 cases in mid-May, Texas at large may hit its peak a bit earlier, projects the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. IHME forecasts that the state will see its peak May 5.

10:15 a.m.: Wimbledon was canceled on Wednesday because of the coronavirus pandemic, the first time since World War II that the oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament won't be played.

10:10 a.m.: Houston City Council approved an emergency purchase of $64,000 worth of hand sanitizer, reports Dylan McGuinness. The product will be dispatched to all major city facilities.

10:05 a.m.: Closures across the world to slow the spread of the coronavirus is resulting in visibly cleaner air with remarkable speed, energy reporter James Osborne writes. The reduction in pollutants such nitrogen dioxide and microscopic particulate matter, as well as carbon dioxide that is warming the planet, offers a temporary window on what a world burning less fossil fuel might look like as governments worldwide move to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by mid-century.

9:30 a.m.: Mayor Sylvester Turner said at a City Council meeting Wednesday morning that Dr. Peter Hotez told him he thinks Houston will hit its peak of COVID-19 cases around May 2, assuming social distancing continues. UTHealth's research estimates mid-May.

"What we are doing is working," Turner said.

9:25 a.m.: Pearland ISD says that the odds high school seniors will have graduation ceremonies this year are “very uncertain” as Gov. Greg Abbott yesterday ordered schools to remain closed until at least May 4 to slow the spread of COVID-19.

9:10 a.m.: Texas’ service sector is in a deep and sudden contraction, an economic indicator from the Dallas Fed shows, reflecting the impact of the many necessary shutdowns and closures across the state to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The revenue index, a measurement based on surveys of executives in the service sector, which makes up a majority of the economy, plummeted in March to a record low of -67. Positive readings indicate expanding activity and negative readings indicate contracting activity. Fewer than 1 percent of retail respondents in the survey noted an increase in sales.

8:55 a.m.: It's hiring season for school districts across greater Houston, but rather than bringing candidates in for interviews, campus leaders will have to make their decisions through a computer screen, education reporter Shelby Webb writes.

8:51 a.m.: Texas may suffer among the steepest job losses due to the coronavirus, IHS Markit economists forecast. Texas employment could decline between -6 percent and -6.7 percent on an annual basis by the fourth quarter of 2020, as it grapples with the virus at the same time as an oil bust.

8:40 a.m.: A forecast of global economic growth of 0% may now be “too optimistic,” according to Oxford Economics researchers. Most of the global economy is now either in some form of lockdown, or, such as in China, emerging from one.

8:25 a.m.: Private-sector employment in the U.S. decreased by 27,000 from February to March, according to the ADP Research Institute's National Employment Report. The report, which uses actual payroll data, is considered an early indicator for changes in employment ahead of the official measure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The measured drop in employment is the first decline recorded by ADP since 2017.

8:18 a.m.: The Houston Chronicle's new podcast, “Coronavirus Chronicle,” features insights from Houston Chronicle journalists and local experts about the pandemic’s impact on Texas health, business, politics, education, religion, lifestyle and culture. Today, Houston Chronicle executive editor Steve Riley speaks of the unique challenges the virus presents to local newsrooms, describing how covering the COVID-19 crisis compares to covering 9/11 and Hurricane Harvey.

8:15 a.m.: Kroger Co. announced a raise and expanded benefits for the company’s more than 460,000 workers across the country, a move that the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union praised Wednesday morning as an “essential investment” in grocery workers on the front lines of the outbreak.

Associates in retail stores, manufacturing plants, distributions and other hourly workers will receive a $2 per hour pay increase. Kroger will also provide emergency paid leave to associates affected by COVID-19, additional cleaning and sanitizing protocols, and other measures to create more social distance including plexiglass partitions at check lanes.

8:03 a.m.: It's okay to be outside, experts say -- walking, cycling or running by yourself is completely safe, said Dr. Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine’s National School of Tropical Medicine, as long as you practice social distancing by keeping a physical distance of 6 feet or more from others and frequently wash your hands.

8:00 a.m.: Researchers who had success in fighting Ebola are now grappling with the nuances of a far more complex disease, Nick Powell reports.

In 2018, two years after Ebola had ravaged parts of West Africa and was making a comeback in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 2018 developed a vaccine in just 72 hours.

But that is an unrealistic expectation for researchers now up against the far more complex novel coronavirus, Ben Raimer, interim president of UTMB, said to reporter Nick Powell.