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This article includes Friday's updates. To read Saturday's blog, click here.

11 p.m. Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena confirmed Friday night that 17 additional firefighters have been placed under COVID-19 quarantine.

9:35 p.m. The statewide total of confirmed COVID-19 cases is now 1,964.

Harris County added 26 cases today. It was the third-highest single day increase.

Cases were added to the following counties:

Collin: 1 (88)

Wichita: 2 (12)

Johnson: 3 (6)

Rockwall: 1 (3)

Montague: 1 (1)

Shelby: 1 (1)

Taylor: 1 (1)

Uvalde: 1 (1)

Willacy: 1 (1)

Yoakum: 1 (1)

Young: 1 (1)

Confirmed cases:

Worldwide: 595,953

U.S.: 104,007

Texas: 1,964

Houston Region: 484

Worldwide Deaths: 27,333

U.S. Deaths: 1,693

Texas Deaths: 26

8:48 p.m. A federal judge Friday asked lawyers to hammer out a plan for releasing about 1,000 indigent inmates detained on bonds of $10,000 or less amid fear of a COVID-19 outbreak at the third largest jail in the country, reports the Chronicle's Gabrielle Banks. The judge indicated she would take up the fate of another 3,400 people in the Harris County Jail awaiting trial on higher bonds next week.

The instructions by Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal came in response to an emergency request Friday by the team of lawyers who challenged the county’s bail policies. They argued that thousands of poor defendants trapped in the jail simply because they couldn’t afford bail should be granted immediate bail hearings or be released.

8:44 p.m. Waller County officials have confirmed the locality's first case of COVID-19, reports Emily Foxhall. The patient is a woman in her 20's.

7:45 p.m. It’s clear that COVID-19 can seriously damage the lungs, but researchers have revealed that the new coronavirus can also harm the heart, reports the Chronicle's Samantha Ketterer.

A Houston physician on Friday published a review of studies showing that COVID-19 can lead to short-term cardiovascular problems for patients with the most severe cases of the illness, even for patients who had no underlying conditions prior to contracting the virus.

7:24 p.m. The statewide total of confirmed COVID-19 cases is now 1,950. The current death count is 26.

7:14 p.m. A Kingwood High School graduate is quarantined in Italy without her deployed husband, reports Savannah Mehrtens.

6:55 p.m. Gov. Greg Abbott is deploying three brigades of the Texas National Guard to help at drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites and add to the state’s overall health care infrastructure, reports Jeremy Wallace.

Abbott activated the guard 10 days ago but had not deployed units until Friday. His office said soldiers have been practicing putting up drive-thru testing sites and helping run them alongside medical staff for a week.

6:46 p.m. The City of Laredo does not have any confirmation of a COVID-19 related death in Laredo, according to a spokesperson for the city.

KGNS News reported Friday afternoon that they had confirmed through multiple sources that a COVID-19 patient at Laredo Medical Center had died.

Members of the marketing staff at the hospital did not immediately return requests for comment Friday.

6:29 p.m. Midland County health officials confirmed two more COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the county's total to 8.

Ector also reported its first confirmed case Friday evening.

6:03 p.m. The Galveston-Texas City Pilots are donating 1,000 3M P100 particulate respirator masks to the Galveston County Office of Emergency Management, according to Capt. Matt Bush, the pilots' presiding officer.

5:50 p.m. Houston Methodist and UnitedHealthcare are extending in-network status for physicians through May 31 in response to the ongoing public health crisis stemming from COVID-19, reports the Chronicle's Gwendolyn Wu.

5:34 p.m. The City of Laredo and Webb County have confirmed three more confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Gateway City, bringing its total to 22.

5:15 p.m. Chambers County Public Health officials have confirmed a new case of COVID-19, bringing the county's total to three.

The patient is a man between 50 and 60-years-old, lives in East Chambers County, and is in good condition, according to a statement.

The man did not contract the virus while traveling, officials say.

Epidemiological investigators and public health staff are investigating and will identify people who may have come into contact with the man. Those identified to be at possible risk of contact, exposure, or infection will be contacted for further case investigation, officials say.

5 p.m. In accordance with Harris County’s stay-at-home order issued earlier this week, the Astros have closed Minute Maid Park to players, general manager James Click said on Friday.

4:53 p.m. The Brazoria County Health Department reported 13 new confirmed coronavirus cases Friday, bringing the countywide total to 52.

The 13 new cases is Brazoria County’s largest single-day increase of new cases and include two hospitalizations.

Four of the patients have fully recovered and been released from home-isolation.



The new cases are:

-A Pearland man between the ages of 35-45.

-A Rosharon woman between the ages of 35-45.

-A Clute woman between the ages of 60-70. She is hospitalized.

-A Pearland woman between the ages of 30-40.

-A Manvel man between the ages 30-40. He is recovering in home isolation.

-A Lake Jackson woman between the ages of 25-35. She is recovering in home isolation.

-A Freeport man between the ages of 45-55. He is recovering in home isolation.

-A Lake Jackson woman between the ages of 45-55. This case is not travel related. She is recovering in home isolation.

-A Rosharon woman between the ages of 45-55. She is recovering in home isolation.

-A Pearland woman between the ages of 45-55. She is recovering in home isolation.

-A Clute man between the ages of 60-70. He is recovering in home isolation.

-A Rosharon woman between the ages of 45-55. She is hospitalized in stable condition.

-An Alvin man between the ages of 40-50. He is recovering in home isolation.

-Reporter Nick Powell

4:41 p.m. Two more Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the department's staff to eight.

Two Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a positive #COVID19 test results in the past 24 hours, bringing the agency’s total number of confirmed cases among staff to eight. https://t.co/xlXXhgSvrA #HouNews pic.twitter.com/LFRdcAJjV9 — HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) March 27, 2020

One of the two most recent cases is a sergeant is in his early 70s, who works in patrol. His last day on duty was March 18. He is now quarantined at home.

The second recent case is a male deputy in his mid-50s and is a part-time employee assigned to the property room. His last day on duty was March 12. He is now quarantined at home.

Previously reported cases include:

-A male deputy in his late 20s, who is now quarantined at home

-A female deputy in her late 20s, who is now quarantined at home

-A male deputy in his early 30s, who is now quarantined at home.

-A male civilian clerk employee in his late 20s, who is being treated at a local hospital.

-A male deputy in his late 60s, who is quarantine d at home.

-A female deputy in her late 20s, who is quarantined at home.

4:13 p.m. The Galveston County Health District reported nine additional positive coronavirus cases Friday, bringing the countywide case total to 49.

The health district also reported that three people have recovered from the virus: two men in their 40s, and one woman in her 60s. In total, four people in the county have recovered from the virus out of the 49 positive cases.

“We cannot stress enough that you need to stay home. If it is not essential for you to leave your home, please do not,” said Dr. Philip Keiser, the county’s local health authority in a statement.



Galveston County’s new positive cases reported Friday are:

· A woman in her 30s who had contact with a known positive coronavirus case. She is self-quarantined.

· A man in his 50s with recent domestic travel. He is hospitalized.

· A woman in her 50s who had contact with a known positive Galveston County coronavirus case. She is self-quarantined.

· A man in his 60s with recent international travel. He is self-quarantined.

· A woman in her 30s who had contact with a known positive Galveston County coronavirus case. She is self-quarantined.

· A man in his 30s who had contact with a known positive coronavirus case. He is self-quarantined.

· A man in his 30s with no recent travel or contact with a known positive coronavirus case, believed to be community spread. He is self-quarantined.

· A woman in her 50s who had contact with a known positive coronavirus case. She is self-quarantined.

· A woman in her 60s with no recent travel or contact with a known positive coronavirus case, believed to be community spread. She is self-quarantined.

-Reporter Nick Powell

4:05 p.m. A total of four Houston Police Department officers have tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials announced Friday, including one who is now hospitalized.

"Please pray for all impacted by this virus at HPD, and across the globe," Tweeted Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.

As this week ends @houstonpolice has a total of four sworn members who have tested positive for COVID-19.



I am sad to report one of the four has now been hospitalized. Please pray for all impacted by this virus at HPD, and across the globe. #RelationalPolicing #InItTogether — Chief Art Acevedo (@ArtAcevedo) March 27, 2020

3:31 p.m. Health officials announced the first COVID-19 death in Fort Bend County on Friday afternoon.

The victim was a woman in her 70's with significant pre-existing medical conditions, according to the county's health department,

She died at a hospital late Wednesday and the health department received test results Friday confirming the woman had COVID-19.

“The hearts and prayers of Fort Bend County are with the patient’s family in these trying times,” said Fort Bend County Judge and Director of Homeland Security & Emergency Management KP George in a statement. “As a community, we must come together to follow the CDC Guidelines and the Fort Bend County ‘Stay Home to Save Lives’ Order to slow the spread of this unprecedented global pandemic.”

3:20 p.m. A Texas man is apparently offering to trade toilet paper for guns online.

“Up for trade is 240- 2 ply toiler paper rolls in 3 bulk boxes, the rest in the picture isn't included,” reads the posting on TexasGunTrader.com. “I hate doing this but I need another gun to keep with me here in houston while my wife is home with shelter in place in effect.”

The man -- who identified himself as Josh -- wrote that he wants a 9mm “or larger” caliber pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun.

“I will not seperate the 3 boxes,” Josh wrote of the toilet paper.

3:02 p.m. Houston health officials say they're handling 69 cases of COVID-19.

#Houston’s #COVID19 cases total 69 after the recording of the city first death from the illness on March 26.



We received the report of the death after our March 26 daily case count update. https://t.co/Uwn9Bycylz. @HoustonTX @HoustonOEM @hcphtx @ReadyHarris pic.twitter.com/vO34bPsXGZ — Houston Health Dept (@HoustonHealth) March 27, 2020

According to the Chronicle's analysis of state data, the total for Harris County when the city and municipalities are considered is 203.

2:57 p.m. When Texas officials outlawed abortions earlier this week, it upended care in many doctors’ offices and clinics.

Ghazaleh Moayedi and her staff would have to explain that their appointments were being canceled, their access in Texas suddenly erased, writes Chronicle Austin reporter Jeremy Blackman.

“It was one of the hardest days of my career,” Moayedi said.

State officials and anti-abortion advocates have said the move will free up hospital beds and medical supplies to fight the looming surge in coronavirus cases. The restriction will “save lives,” Attorney General Ken Paxton — who issued the directive following an executive order by Gov. Greg Abbott — told supporters on Wednesday.

For providers, though, the week has been especially jarring, even for those who have worked in the field for decades. Some physicians described patients breaking down in tears and women begging for pills they could use to end their pregnancies on their own. At one clinic, employees said a patient threatened suicide when they explained that her abortion had been at least temporarily postponed.

2:46 p.m. Longhorn QB Sam Ehlinger can’t call plays right now, so he’s calling on his fans to contribute to COVID-19 charities, writes UT beat reporter Nick Moyle.

“We’ve all been affected by this global crisis one way or another. I want to use this time to create a Go Fund Me page to raise money for relief,” Ehlinger, the University of Texas quarterback, said in a video posted to his Twitter account. “This money will be going to organization nationally and locally like the Boys & Girls Club of America, Austin Pets Alive!, Central Texas Food Bank and more.”

Ehlinger’s fundraising effort, which has a goal of $1 million, has been approved by the NCAA and UT’s compliance department. As of Friday afternoon, the fund had received nearly $13,000 from more than 180 donors.

2:41 p.m. It could be days before the fate of hundreds of held defendants and prisoners in Harris County Jail is settled.

Update: Judge Rosenthal has set a hearing for one week for today and asked parties to assemble a list of people who could be candidates. — Gabrielle Banks (@GabMoBanks) March 27, 2020

The judge said she picked the timing to allow everyone involved a chance to respond and assemble a list of thousands of people who might qualify, writes Chronicle courts reporter Gabrielle Banks. The parties could ask for a more prompt hearing if necessary, the judge wrote.

2:31 p.m. Fear of flying during the COVID-19 crisis has grounded jets, led to an airline bailout and left a lot of workers behind on payments, the Chronicle’s Erin Douglas writes.

Thousands of workers at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport and hundreds of their counterparts at Hobby Airport have had hours cut dramatically or lost jobs altogether.

“I can’t sleep at night — How are we going to buy groceries?” said Anna Alvarez, for whom a job as a wheelchair attendant provided a lifeline after she and her children fled an abusive marriage some 20 years ago. “That’s what’s scary. I’m the one who’s going to have to figure out how to bail my family out.”

United Airlines, which holds nearly 60 percent of the Houston market, said last week it would cut dozens of routes from Bush airport as part of a long list cost of cutting measures, including slashing payments to vendors and contractors such as Swissport. The result: layoffs of airport workers employed by those companies.

United had threatened that unless Congress provided “sufficient government support” by the end of March, the company would reduce payroll “in line” with the 60 percent schedule reduction planned for April. United employs nearly 14,000 in the Houston area.

2:24 p.m. The new coronavirus has brought new rules to medical centers, which Chronicle medical reporter Todd Ackerman writes is making hospitals not quite feel the same.

Six days a week, morning, afternoon or night, the Houston Methodist Hospital CEO Roberta Schwartz would pop into one room after another, quick with a hug, attentive to everyone’s needs, eager to improve people’s spirit.

“It’s what rejuvenates me as a leader,” said Schwartz. “It’s what makes me want to do this forever.”

Nearly two weeks ago, the coronavirus pandemic brought an abrupt end to that joy for Schwartz.

Hospitals are doing the logical thing — restricting visits by patients’ loved ones, cutting back on executives’ interactions with patients and staff, equipping even non-clinical employees with gear to prevent the virus’ spread, canceling procedures that aren’t absolutely necessary to the patient.

Those changes, though, come with some sacrifice and adjustment.

2:08 p.m. Businesses are adapting to the new coronavirus by finding new ways to use their businesses to meet surging demands of certain items, the Chronicle’s R.A. Schuetz writes.

Companies that can find ways to meet the surging need for medical supplies, deliveries and groceries will be able to keep their employees working while also serving society, said Mark Mullee, director of talent acquisition at Houston-based WC Consulting.

“If you have the capability and you have the dynamics within the industry to do that pivot — if you can make hand sanitizer in your distillery — that’s incredible,” he said.

Many in Houston are doing just that.

After reducing employee hours and leaving stacks of already-cut clothing unfinished, Derrick Veillon, chief executive of Paty Inc, a children’s clothing manufacturer, saw a news story last weekend about New York designers making masks. By that Monday, Paty had a mask prototype of its own. By Tuesday, it had listed masks in its online store. Orders began pouring in before the company had the chance to announce the new product, and Veillon was able not only to restore employee hours but also begin looking for new hires.

“The nurses are desperate,” he said. “They’re calling us from New York City — to buy masks from an apparel company in Texas? There’s a level of desperation in that.”

1:59 p.m. The number of operating U.S. oil and gas rigs plummeted by 44 this week, according to the Baker Hughes rig count, writes Chronicle business reporter Erin Douglas. The rig count is seen as a leading indicator of oil and gas production activity in the U.S. The number of operating rigs in the U.S. is now 728.

U.S. operators have shed 77 rigs in 2020, after an already steep drop off in activity in 2019. Last year, the rig count dropped by more than 25 percent. A year ago this week, there were 1,006 operating oil and gas rigs in the U.S.

1:50 p.m. Lunch, and apparently dinner, is on Deshaun Watson for a group of health professionals.

Watson had meals delivered to nurses Friday afternoon at Ben Taub Hospital, an acute care facility and Level I trauma center near NRG Stadium, writes Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson.

Watson provided meals in his hometown of Gainesville, Ga., earlier this week.

1:43 p.m. Got COVID-19? There’s an app for that, writes Chronicle tech columnist Dwight Silverman.

Apple has built an iOS app and website that allows users to do basic screening for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as well as provide information about the disease supplied by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The free app, called simply COVID-19, is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. The website at apple.com/covid19, works on any web browser, on any device.

1:37 p.m. Midland authorities have confirmed the city's seventh case, according to the Midland Reporter-Telegram

The confirmed case is a female in her 50s who was tested by Midland Health. The source of exposure is travel related.

1:28 p.m. Drive-thru COVID-19 testing in Fort Bend County has gone private, courtesy Oakbend Medical Center, the Chronicle’s Rebecca Hennes writes.

The hospital officially opened the site on Thursday and tested a total of 12 patients while another 10 were turned away, according to Linda Drummond, Director of Public Relations for Oakbend Medical Group. Drummond said people were turned away because the hospital is only testing patients who have been approved for testing by a doctor through a telehealth visit, and those ten showed up at the site unannounced.

Unlike other Houston-area sites that offer free tests, the Oakbend hospital's tests run $140; this includes a $40 charge for the telehealth visit and $100 charge for the actual test, according to Drummond. Not all patients who are approved for testing will have to pay the nearly $140 price tag, as some insurance companies are covering the cost of the test.

1:19 p.m. It’s sea turtle nesting season on Texas beaches, but the Chronicle's Nick Powell reports the coronavirus outbreak will prevent volunteer patrols from protecting nesting turtles and their eggs, according to the Turtle Island Restoration Network.

This year due to the COVID-19 and coronavirus pandemic the start of nest patrols will be delayed until approximately May 1, said Joanie Steinhaus, Gulf Coast director for the Turtle Island Restoration Network.

“This decision was made to ensure the safety of our volunteers and staff, and it will be reevaluated every two weeks to determine a safe start date for nest patrol season,” Steinhaus said in a statement.

Three endangered sea turtle species – the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead and green – return to the beaches of Texas and Mexico every year to lay their nests. Last year, 199 nests were confirmed on the Texas coast, 190 of which were Kemp’s ridley. Seven loggerhead nests and two green nests were also confirmed.

Since 2014, Turtle Island Restoration Network has worked with Texas A&M University at Galveston to train more than 300 volunteers to patrol Texas Gulf Coast beaches.

1:08 p.m. Three of Brazoria County's 39 COVID-19 cases worsened overnight and moved from home isolation to hospitalization, county health officials said in a statement.

"We are asking Brazoria County residents to take the Brazoria County Stay Safe at Home Order seriously," officials said. "Only go out when you have essentials to pick-up or traveling to-and-from your essential place of employment. You are not prohibited from engaging in outside activities, but it is not a time for social gatherings."

The three patients brings the total number of patients seeking medical facility treatment to seven.

12:49 p.m. Texas Children's Hospital is confirming its first case of COVID-19 within the hospital. The hospital offered no other details about the patient in a statement.

"We want the community to know we are fully prepared and have a detailed plan in place to identify, isolate and treat suspected cases of contagious infectious diseases, including COVID-19.," officials said.

12:30 p.m. Tens of billions of dollars are on the way to Texas after the House on Friday approved the largest stimulus package in the nation's history, $2 trillion aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus and stemming its economic damage, Chronicle Washington reporter Benjamin Wermund writes.

While the full scope of the stimulus spending on Texas is still unknown, the state is on tap for at least $11.2 billion through a $150 billion coronavirus relief fund at the heart of the stimulus, which sends money directly to states and cities coping with the outbreak. But the state will get much more than that.

The stimulus includes billions for hospitals, schools and transit systems — all stretched thin — as well as direct checks to many American taxpayers and forgivable loans for small businesses.

12:22 p.m. The The first person to die in Houston who had COVID-19 was a woman in her mid-60s who had recently traveled. Her death was still being investigated Friday by the Harris County Medical Examiner's Office. City officials announced her death Thursday, writes the Chronicle's Emily Foxhall. She had underlying health problems and died Tuesday, said Dr. David Persse of the Houston Health Department.

12:15 p.m. COVID-19 regulations by local officials cannot prohibit gun sales, Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Friday.

“State law provides several emergency powers to local governments to control movement within their region during a disaster, which serves our communities well during public health events like the one we’re fighting now," Paxton said in a release. "However, local regulation of the sale, possession, and ownership of firearms is specifically prohibited under Texas law. Under our laws, every Texan retains their right to purchase and possess firearms.”

The opinion was in response to question by state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock.

12:08 p.m. Local religious and nonprofit leaders are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. John Cornyn to immediately implement food assistance programs amid the spread of Covid-19, writes the Chronicle's Robert Downen.

In a letter sent Thursday, the Metropolitan Organizations said that the programs were necessary amid massive job losses and the suspension of food distribution programs through Houston Independent School District.

Specifically, the group wants disaster food stamps to be made available immediately.

TMO also called for more safety gear at food distribution sites so as to combat “accelerating community spread” of the virus.

11:53 a.m. Montgomery County has followed other counties and issued a stay at home order, effective midnight tonight, the county's emergency management office said. County Judge Mark Keough, who had tamped down the need for a more restrictive order, issued the declaration Friday morning.

The order lasts until 11:59 p.m. on April 12 and places a midnight-to 6 a.m. curfew. As with many of the stay at home orders, there are various exemptions.

11:46 a.m. Special events will need to wait more than a month in Harris County, according to the fire marshal's office.

Montgomery County Occupancy Order by dugbegley on Scribd

11:41 a.m. A University of Houston law professor will help lead COVID-19 fundraising efforts and disbursement, the law school said in a release.

In an effort to help #lowerthecurve of #COVID19, HCFMO is revoking all special events permits until April 30. In addition, no new special events permit applications will be accepted. Thank you for helping us all stay safe and healthy! pic.twitter.com/xBMcMnW1Bv — Harris Co. FMO (@hcfmo) March 27, 2020

Anthony Chase accepted the role as co-chairman of the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund. The fund was established earlier this week by United Way of Greater Houston and the Greater Houston Community Foundation.

“Our primary goal is to make sure the most vulnerable in our community affected by COVID-19 have access to food, health care, shelter and other basic necessities to sustain them in this crisis,” Chase said in a statement.

11:12 a.m. Astros shortstop Carlos Correa announced Friday a $500,000 donation of medical equipment that will help with COVID-19 for a few weeks and then health-challenged areas for the long term, Chronicle baseball writer Chandler Rome writes.

In an online post, Correa, through his charitable foundation, said the money would buy surgical equipment, exercise and rehabilitation machines, a high-tech mannequin for CPR training, IV poles, and handicapped accessible furniture.

The equipment will aid the city during the coronavirus pandemic. When the pandemic subsides, Correa said the products will be donated to “underequipped hospitals in the poorest regions of Central America.”

11:05 a.m. Wharton County reported Friday morning their fourth and fifth confirmed cases of COVID-19, including a 10-year-old boy.

Officials said the boy lived in the same El Campo home as another case confirmed Tuesday.

"Today’s confirmed case indicates that three of Wharton County’s five current cases are likely related to one individual that traveled out of state," officials said in a statement. "All of these individuals have been quarantined and all contacts with these three have been identified, contacted by state health authorities, and remain on self-quarantine."

The other case confirmed Friday is "a female healthcare worker in her 50’s living in the rural area around Wharton," officials said. She is an employee of Matagorda Regional Medical Center and was exposed at work and had been quarantined for 10 days prior to showing symptoms.

10:58 a.m. Lawyers who challenged Harris County's bail policies leading to sweeping changes are back in court with an emergency request, arguing COVID-19 risks require removing many low-level offenders from the county jail.

The pleading lays a grave situation at the hands of a judge who has made many tough decisions in the criminal justice realm, writes the Chronicle's Gabrielle Banks.

"A public health catastrophe of historic proportion looms in the Harris County Jail. Only this Court can avert it," the motion says. "With every passing hour, the risk of disaster increases. All eyes turn to this Court in this dire moment. Thousands of lives may hang in the balance."

The Friday morning filing before Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal asks for a temporary restraining order requesting a full constitutional hearing for each of several thousand defendants awaiting trial in detention because they can't come up with bail money. If the judge can't grant immediate bail hearings, the order asks her to immediately release them to await trial on the outside.

10:52 a.m. A new study shows COVID-19 puts a strain even on healthy hearts, the Chronicle's Samantha Ketterer writes.

“We know that these viruses cause serious inflammatory response in our body,” said Mohammad Madjid, lead author and assistant professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “The body tries to fight off the infection, and it has its own defense mechanisms. While trying to attack the cells … it’s going to cause damage to itself.”

10:45 a.m. Restaurants reeling from the loss of business to COVID-19 containment are betting on gift cards to keep customers coming in, and returning once the world -- and dining rooms -- reopens.

“These can be a great way for restaurants to get customers back for dine-in,” said Melissa Stewart, executive director of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association, told the Chronicle's food writer Greg Morago. Stewart added that gift card incentives will build loyalty and new business when restaurants reopen.

Katz’s Deli in Montrose is giving 100 percent of sales of gift cards – up to $10,000 – directly to its workers.

“My team members are essential to our success. It was a no-brainer,” said owner Barry Katz, who announced the gift card initiative earlier this week. “We can put money in their pockets for what they need.”

Katz, who has about 100 employees, said he may extend the effort beyond $10,000. He also is contributing 10 percent of to-go order sales at his Westheimer restaurant to the neighboring The Women’s Home, a women’s shelter.

10:31 a.m. Lone Star College is loaning eight ventilators to hospitals in the Houston area dealing with increased demand for breathing devices because of the COVID-19 crisis.

"It’s up to all of us to do whatever we can to help in the fight against the coronavirus,” said Stephen C. Head, chancellor of Lone Star. “We are honored to be part of this community and will continue to look for ways to help us move forward.”

The ventilators are typically used by the school's Kingwood respiratory care program for student training. The school also donated five nebulizers and 75 personal protective equipment kits, officials said in a release.

9:54 a.m. Harris County’s stay at home order that went into effect Wednesday sent traffic volumes sliding from their already unprecedented levels, Houston TranStar data shows.

Eastbound Interstate 10 at Voss, where local officials have one of the most reliable readouts of traffic via a radar traffic counter, logged about one-third the typical number of trips on Wednesday and Thursday, the data showed. TranStar officials attributed the drop to Houston and Harris County ordering residents to stay home, leading to fewer than 44,000 vehicles using the freeway Thursday.

Bus and rail ridership in the area also plummeted as people stayed home, according to Wednesday figures from Metropolitan Transit Authority. Agency officials said ridership for the first day of the stay at home order was 119,000.

“That’s 56 percent less than the same day last year,” Metro spokesman Jerome Gray said.

9:35 a.m. Cooped up so long you want to send your kid to infinity and beyond? NASA has you covered, the Chronicle's Andrea Leinfelder writes.

Its STEM engagement website has experiments, crafts, games and videos that can help turn a stressful shelter-at-home situation into an opportunity for teaching and inspiring.

And starting Friday, astronaut Christina Koch will read a children's book on Instagram live (astro_christina) every weekday at 3 p.m.

9:26 a.m. Montgomery County prosecutors are ready and willing to use their authority to increase the severity of criminal charges during the COVID-19 scare.

Trial Bureau Chief Kelly Blackburn told the Chronicle's Jose Gonzalez that the DA’s Office is focused on prosecuting looting, domestic violence and child abuse, crimes Blackburn said spike during declared disasters. Because of the emergency, the Texas Attorney General's Office allows enhanced criminal charges, subject to local prosecutor's discretion.

If, for instance, someone is found guilty of burglarizing a business, then during a disaster declaration the degree of offense could be moved up from a state jail felony up to a third-degree felony. A Class B misdemeanor offense could be enhanced to a Class A, possibly increasing a 180-day jail sentence to up to a year.

Blackburn said all offenses are reviewed by prosecutors on a case-by-case basis to determine whether they should be enhanced.

The DA’s Office does not just “enhance every offense that we can just because there is a disaster declaration,” Blackburn said. Cases are looked at “independently. We like there to be a certain type of nexus between the actual offense being committed, why it’s being committed and the disaster declaration.”

9:15 a.m. Planners of a Houston-to-Dallas bullet train said Friday their multinational team "could be impacted" by the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“This is one of those moments where we have to acknowledge how small our world really is,” said Carlos Aguilar, CEO of Texas Central High-­Speed Rail, in a statement. “Our engineering partner is in Italy, our operations partner is in Spain and our technology provider is in Japan. Our financial partners are in those countries, as well as here in the United States."

Texas Central aims to develop a 240-mile sealed rail corridor from south of downtown Dallas to near Loop 610 and U.S. 290. The path travels along a utility corridor through 11 rural counties, where thousands of residents vigorously oppose the train. Critics have called the project, expected to cost $15 billion or more, a boondoggle that will require a taxpayer bailout while using eminent domain to steal land that has been owned by families for decades.

In the Friday update, officials with Texas Central said the company remains hopeful it can obtain federal approvals in July and being construction later this year. Since 2014, the company has said it expects to break ground soon.

“From an execution standpoint, the project is shovel-­ready," Aguilar said. "Once we receive our permit approval, our ability to begin construction will be contingent upon financial entities in the United States, Europe and Japan, all of which are dealing with urgent priorities generated by COVID-­19, completing their due diligence process."

9:05 a.m. Harris County's COVID-19 cases have crossed 200, a review of reported diagnoses has found.

With the latest cases included, the county and cities within it have 203 cases, including two deaths.

8:58 a.m. The decision by the Texas Public Utility Commission to halt discontinuing service to customers during COVID-19 was welcomed by community advocates, though some worry it doesn't go far enough.

"This is a good first step, but additional action is needed to blunt the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Texas residents struggling to pay their bills," said Kaiba White, an energy policy analyst with the Texas office of Public Citizen.

Thursday the commission approved establishing a temporary emergency fund to help Texans pay their electricity bills as the coronavirus outbreak spreads. They also suspended electricity disconnections for eligible Texans who buy electricity in deregulated markets, including Houston and Dallas, and who sign up for payment plans with their electricity provider, according to the Chronicle's L.M. Sixel. The fund will be in place for one month and will be renewed if necessary.

White said Friday morning in a statement there are some remaining issues to address with the procedures.

"The orders also don’t address reconnecting residents who have already been disconnected, which should be done immediately," she said.

8:51 a.m. Amid stay-home orders and general social fears, the bag boys (and girls) of the world are holding things down.

“People are starting to realize who they are, that these folks are really unbelievable,” H-E-B President Scott McClelland told the Chronicle's Paul Takahashi. “They realize we’re on the front lines and we’ve got a role to fill in the community, one that’s as essential as the medical community.”

James Moss, 35, orders produce, stocks shelves and manages the produce department as a purchasing manager at the Bellaire store. He said his wife worries for his safety, knowing that it’s difficult to practice social distancing at a grocery store frequented by so many people. After coming home each day, Moss washes his hands and all of his clothes, he said.

“My wife knows how much I love what I do, and the important role and service we provide to the community,” Moss said. “People are relying on us to feed themselves and their families.”

8:40 a.m. Texas' COVID-19 cases jumped slightly overnight, with four new cases and one death, reports the Chronicle's Jordan Rubio.

As of 8 a.m., the state's various health agencies were reporting 1,657 cases and 24 deaths.

Cases keep climbing around the state, with Thursday marking the largest jump in confirmed incidents since the virus was confirmed in the state.

8:10 a.m. The Houston Texans' dynamic quarterback usually tries to avoid trouble, but this week tackled COVID-19 fallout head-on.

Deshaun Watson made a donation through his charitable foundation to provide meals for hundreds of hospitality workers who lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has stricken the world, Chronicle Texans beat writer Aaron Wilson writes. Watson's donation benefits the Restaurant Workers Relief program. The relief center at Riel Restaurant, formed in partnership with Maker's Mark and The LEE Foundation. In a reaction to the situation, Riel is producing 250 to 300 free meals per day through a program for restaurant employees who have lost their jobs of adjusting to a significant reduction of income.

"Every dollar counts, and we're extremely grateful for Deshaun's donation," said Ryan Lachaine, chef and owner of Riel."We could all use something to smile about right now. He's putting food on the table for a lot of people in Houston who need it."

8:02 a.m. Schools are going pass-fail until the COVID-19 crisis passes, Chronicle higher education reporter Brittany Britto writes.

Rice University announced Wednesday that it would give students the option of choosing “pass or fail” as a grading system for their courses this semester after faculty unanimously voted. For students who opt in, a passing grade will given for grades D or up, and a “fail” is given for students who earn a F.

The University of Houston also announced Wednesday that it will offer a “satisfactory” or “no credit” option on a course-by-course basis for undergraduate classes during the spring semester and its upcoming summer mini-session. Students have until May 18 to decide.

Texas A&M University students can opt in for “satisfactory” or “unsatisfactory” grading for undergraduate and graduate students, although the option might not be applicable for students in their first professional degree programs. Unsatisfactory grades will not count toward GPAs.

Prairie View A&M announced Tuesday that it would implement a “pass/not pass” option for all undergraduate courses.

7:45 a.m. "I'm concerned that New Orleans may be one of the next dominoes to fall."

In an updated Q&A with the Chronicle's Lisa Gray, infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, warns hospitals are starting to face scenarios they simply are not prepared to handle in terms of coronavirus cases.

"We're hearing stories of 500 or more coded patients coming into Columbia, Presbyterian, New York Hospital, the big flagship teaching hospitals, daily. And we're hearing Gov. Andrew Cuomo telling us that they just cannot manage the surge. There are too many ICU patients for them to manage. This is the nightmare scenario that we all worried about."

If those scenes come to Houston, home to one of the best medical centers in the world, Hotez said we simply can't be sure what will happen.

"I'm not seeing any data or information on what the plan is in terms of surge capacity, or at what point do we have to build new infrastructure, building a tent city or some type or something along those lines, or bringing in the Army Corps of Engineers?

"Hopefully, we'll never get to that point. We don’t know."

7:40 a.m. Houston officials continue examining the death of the city's first COVID-19 patient, reporter Nicole Hensley writes.

The woman, in her 60s, also had underlying health problems, said Dr. David Persse of the Houston Health Department. She likely contracted the virus while traveling recently outside Texas.

She died Tuesday at a local hospital. Her identity was not yet known.

“It was not an obvious cause of death,” Persse said.

In the moments before the death was announced, Mayor Sylvester Turner expressed dismay at the prospect of courting privately-owned suppliers for protective gear.

Before the pandemic, the city spent 50 cents per mask. Now, that price has increased exponentially with the national spike in demand, the mayor said. An attempt to purchase coveted N-95 respirator masks from a vendor — at $4 each — flopped when the company revealed they had another bidder willing to pay more.

7:30 a.m. Want to see what a world without people looks like? Reporter Andrea Leinfelder shows you via satellite images from San Francisco-based Planet Labs.

The images, taken either before or during widespread stay at home orders, show various spots as crowds became a think of the past.

7:18 a.m. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is self-isolated at 10 Downing Street after he said he started coughing and tested positive for the new coronvirus.

For up-to-date tracking of the spread of the novel coronavirus in Texas, visit houstonchronicle.com/coronavirus