Gov. Abbott declares state of disaster over coronavirus; drive-by testing coming to Houston

Governor Greg Abbott answers media questions as he and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick meet with public officials at the State Operations Center in Austin on Feb. 27, 2020. Governor Greg Abbott answers media questions as he and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick meet with public officials at the State Operations Center in Austin on Feb. 27, 2020. Photo: Tom Reel, San Antonio Express-News / Staff Photographer Photo: Tom Reel, San Antonio Express-News / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 84 Caption Close Gov. Abbott declares state of disaster over coronavirus; drive-by testing coming to Houston 1 / 84 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster Friday over the coronavirus pandemic, making it the latest state of 35 to do so.

As of Friday, there were 39 confirmed cases in Texas, including one in San Antonio, eight in Harris County and six in Fort Bend County, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The state’s first drive-up testing station will be opened in San Antonio, Abbott said. He added that drive-by testing will soon also be available in Houston, Dallas and Austin.

The governor didn’t provide details on where and when the San Antonio lab would open. But he credited San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and his team for leading the way on the issue.

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He said the state has tested 220 Texans so far for the virus and he expects public labs to exponentially increase the capacity next week. The labs will be able to test several thousand people a week.

Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia have issued similar disaster declarations, according to the National Governors Association. Emergency declarations vary by state but generally give governors broader ability to make directives that protect people and property and sometimes indicate that he or she is preparing to request federal aid.

Abbott’s declaration came a day after President Donald Trump addressed the nation and announced a 30-day ban on most Europeans entering the country and at the tail end of a week filled with major cancelations, some unprecedented, from the Houston Rodeo and South by Southwest in Austin to professional sports league shutdowns to in-person classes at colleges and universities.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo had issued local disaster declarations Thursday after a Montgomery County man with no recent travel history tested positive for COVID-19, possibly the state’s first instance of community spread.

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