While stressing that it’s not yet clear when the state’s COVID-19 cases will peak, Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday said he will issue an executive order next week focused on economic revitalization.

"Next week, I will be providing an executive order talking about what will be done in Texas about reopening businesses," he said in a news conference at the Texas Capitol, adding that the order will be based on federal guidance on how best to stoke the economy while promoting safety.

"We can do both (and) expand and restore the livelihoods that Texans want to have by helping them return to work," he said.

Abbott’s remarks come as the Trump administration has pushed to reopen most businesses next month. The Washington Post reported Thursday that behind closed doors, President Donald Trump has floated trying to reopen much of the country before the end of April, while health experts have stressed that it’s too soon to back away from social distancing efforts.

Meanwhile, hours before Abbott’s news conference, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he foresees some businesses being able to reopen by early next month.

"We’re not going to open up everything immediately, but it will be done in phases, but we need to get started, and I hope that’s the first week of May, barring any unforeseen big spikes," Patrick said during a telephone town hall organized by the Texas Republican Party.

But Abbott was cautious about the prospect of rushing back to work, saying his executive order will strike a balance between safety and encouraging economic activity.

He offered no additional details about the order beyond saying that he will use guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and other state and federal health officials.

"We all want Texans to go back to work as quickly as possible," he said. "But understand that we will do so in ways that protect lives and promote the livelihoods of fellow Texans."

Nearly 314,000 Texans filed initial claims for unemployment benefits last week, on top of more than 430,000 in the previous two weeks.

The possibility of reopening some Texas businesses comes as the number of known COVID-19 cases rose to 11,671 on Friday, an additional 1,441 from the day before and the largest single-day rise to date.

The coronavirus death toll rose to 226 by Friday afternoon, up 27 from the day before, according to state numbers.

But Abbott expressed optimism Friday, again noting that the number of known cases in Texas is on course to double every six days, a slower rate than in mid-March, when cases doubled every three days. Abbott also said the state’s death toll was lower than many other states.

READ MORE: Known coronavirus cases surpass 10,000 in Texas

"That's a number that, if you were to compare it to other states, it would look like a relatively small number," Abbott said.

While some lawmakers and health care workers have expressed concerns about a limited access to test kits, Abbott and said private companies are stepping up to meet hospital needs.

The governor has touted Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories and its efforts to expand quick-result testing. The company said it would expand drive-thru testing at some Walgreens stores around the country.

Abbott said the state has increased the number of tests given to Texans by about 10% each day, with a total of 115,918 tests provided around the state by Friday.

But state Democrats say it’s not enough. In a letter sent Wednesday to Abbott, six state House Democrats from Travis County raised concerns about the distribution of test kits and personal protective equipment for health care workers.

The letter asked for clarification about which hospitals would receive immediate distributions of the test kits.

After sending the letter, the delegation spoke to a representative from the governor’s office and the Department of State Health Services, but state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, said the call offered few details on how the Abbott Laboratories tests would be distributed to each county.

"Every time we tried to get firm grasp of numbers, there was less clarity," she said Friday. "The governor is trying to paint a good picture. ... But at the same time, I don't feel like those numbers are good, and that's concerning."

Addressing testing concerns Friday, Dr. John Hellerstedt, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said the number of tests in the state won’t provide a full picture of Texas’ response to the coronavirus.

"Testing definitely has a role. There’s no doubt that it’s important," Hellerstedt said. "But at the same time, the important message is about prevention."

Hellerstedt’s agency releases a daily report of COVID-19 cases that now includes includes the number of recovered COVID-19 patients — an estimated 1,366 — and available hospital beds and ventilators.

And for the first time Thursday, the agency added information on the race and ethnicity of confirmed COVID-19 patients.

The race and ethnicity data is only available for a small number of cases — just 16% — because case investigations take a substantial amount of time, and often race and ethnicity is not known, according to a spokeswoman for the health agency.

A breakdown for 1,874 cases found that nearly 40% of patients identified as White, 25% as Hispanic, 10% as black and 5% as Asian.