DALLAS (KRLD) - State and local health laboratories around the state are now equipped to test patients for the COVID 19 coronavirus. Facilities that are part of the "Laboratory Response Network" will be able to handle more than 125 tests per day.
Gov Abbott at Dept of State Health Services lab says the state is now capable of testing for Covid19 in labs throughout the state...up to 125 tests per day. Also Fort Bend county case was not contracted in Texas. @KRLD pic.twitter.com/M2fuh98QQp
— Chris Fox (@chrisfoxtsn) March 5, 2020
Those labs are in Lubbock, Fort Worth, Dallas, Tyler, El Paso, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Harlingen.
"The test includes a nasal and oral swab taken from the patient. The local public health department then coordinates the shipping of the specimens to the closest public health lab for processing and testing. This new ability to provide testing will shorten the time to get the test results and will help public health take the appropriate steps."
Health officials in Harris County are now reporting two cases of the coronavirus in the Houston area. Both of those cases are in patients that had traveled to other countries. Health officials in Fort Bend County have also reported a travel-related case. Both health departments say there have not been any locally-transmitted cases of the virus.
Houston is currently hosting the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, while Austin is scheduled to host South by Southwest next week. Both events attract visitors from across the state and around the world, and some people expressed concern about the possibility of the virus spreading during those gatherings. Several tech companies have indicated they would not be sending representatives to South by Southwest this year.
As for canceling those big gatherings, Governor Abbott said "those are strictly local decisions. It's up to the local officials to work in collaboration and for them to make the right decision."
