AUSTIN — The Texas Democratic Party on Monday will shift its political organizing program into an online resource for Texans looking for information about the novel coronavirus outbreak in the state.

The party will launch an online public program called “Connect Texas” that will create forums for Texans in the state’s 254 counties to get information about the coronavirus in their area and others; start online and phone webinars and town halls with candidates, elected officials and public health officials; and use the online community to give Texans information on food banks, nonprofits and other resources they can access during the public health crisis.

“We’re shifting our organizing program into a service organization for the near future,” said Olivia Stitilis, the party’s organizing director. “We believe it’s important to live our values and be part of the solution. ... We will win in November, but right now lives are at stake and we need to be there for everyone.”

Abhi Rahman, a spokesman for the party, said the program was necessary to help fill an information void at the state and local level.

“Information is really slow, and there’s a lot of not knowing what the laws are right now,” he said. “This is what we need right now in Texas. If we’re not getting it from our governor or our elected officials, we’re going to step up and do it ourselves.”

The party’s goal is to provide a united response to the virus. Many of the program’s efforts will be done through already accessible platforms, such as Facebook community groups and the Slack group messaging service. On the Slack messaging service, for example, the program would break topics down by sections for users. Some sections would be designated by topic and others by location to help people get the best information possible.

The party is doing the same with its list of community resources which are broken down by regional areas and constituent groups (such as Asian American Pacific Islanders; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; and college students).

The program will also work to create virtual meetings in all counties to “foster a sense of connection and build relationships in communities that may not have existed before.”

People can register for the program by visiting the Texas Democratic Party’s website.

Though it is open to all Texans, the program is not apolitical. Some of the virtual webinars already in the works are a “South Asian Voter Outreach Kick-off in Collin County” and a community forum on the coronavirus and anti-Asian racism, following the condemnation of some Republican elected officials for referring to COVID-19 virus as the “Chinese" virus.

The transition away from political organizing for the “immediate future” is a sign that Texas Democrats consider the COVID-19 virus a major disruption to their ordinary campaign efforts and one that could affect this year’s elections for some time to come.

But Stitilis said the program would also include traditional efforts like opportunities to volunteer at campaign phone banks and texting campaigns. Virtual town halls and telephone conferences could later be used for political efforts, if appropriate, she said.

“Whether we are campaigning during the time of coronavirus or not, the first and foremost thing we’re doing is building relationships, and that’s what we’re doing with this program,” she said. “All of these things can be adjusted and moved. We’re definitely not taking our foot off the gas or eyes off the prize.”