Texas Gov. Abbott on coronavirus: We have been getting ready since January
Texas Governor Greg Abbott discusses his state's coronavirus response on 'Bill Hemmer Reports.'
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As the number of coronavirus cases in Texas rose above 1,600 on Friday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott told "Bill Hemmer Reports" that the state is prepared for whatever comes next.
"We have been getting ready for months now, all the way back to January," Abbott told host Bill Hemer. "We are working to ensure that we have an adequate number of beds, an adequate number of ventilators, adequate testing capability but also the responsiveness to be needed by the health care providers."
Abbott added that he has ordered travelers to Texas from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or New Orleans to self-quarantine for 14 days.
New Orleans is the latest major city to see a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, as Mayor LaToya Cantrell ripped President Trump for not urging the cancellation of February's Mardi Gras celebration.
Abbott said Texas, which has 264 counties, is looking forward to potential guidance from the federal government for the normalizing of commerce in unaffected or lightly affected areas.
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"There are still many counties in the state of Texas that have zero cases of COVID-19 that may be categorized as low risk. We just need to wait to see what the data shows," Abbott said.
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