Thread by @TexasTribune

1/ The number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus in Texas has more than doubled since the beginning of June.

In the Houston region, hospitals have begun moving coronavirus patients from crowded ICUs to other facilities. bit.ly/2NBlenj

2/ Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other health officials have said there is “abundant” capacity to care for coronavirus patients.

But regionally, some hospital officials are reporting that intensive care units are near or over capacity. bit.ly/2NBlenj

3/ Local leaders have warned that hospitals could get overwhelmed if the number of infections keeps climbing. bit.ly/2NBlenj

4/ A children’s hospital in Houston said this week it is admitting transfer patients, with and without the virus, to help other facilities manage their capacity. bit.ly/2NBlenj

5/ The Texas Medical Center in Houston anticipates intensive care unit capacity there could be surpassed in two weeks. bit.ly/2NBlenj

6/ Large swaths of the state are not reporting a surge in hospitalized coronavirus patients.

But health experts and local officials predict a coming crush in some urban areas — like Houston — if the growth in cases doesn’t slow down. bit.ly/2NBlenj

7/ An Abbott spokesperson said hospitals have been “emphatic” that beds will be available.

He also said the governor has made clear “he will utilize tools as necessary to ensure hospitals will provide beds for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19.” bit.ly/2NBlenj

8/ Carrie Williams, a spokesperson for the Texas Hospital Association, also said Texas currently has enough hospital capacity.

“Right now we’re in good shape, but if this trend continues, it’s not sustainable,” she said. bit.ly/2NBlenj

9/ In Dallas County, where 470 people were in hospitals as of Tuesday, Judge Clay Jenkins warned last week that “many more people will get sick and die in the coming weeks” if the numbers continue to rise. bit.ly/2NBlenj

10/ At Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in Houston, ICU patients exceeded bed capacity and patients were temporarily moved to other units or to other hospitals.

At Ben Taub Hospital, also in Houston, 76% of ICU beds were full as of Monday. bit.ly/2NBlenj

11/11 The governor struck a newly worried tone yesterday in a televised press conference, when he said the virus was “spreading at an unacceptable rate.”

Read more here. bit.ly/2NBlenj