Elective surgeries at hospitals in Cameron and Hidalgo counties have been suspended in order to make room for COVID-19 patients.
Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation Tuesday suspending unnecessary medical procedures to help ensure hospital bed availability in four counties, including Webb and Nueces counties.
The proclamation amends a previous executive order that initially only directed hospitals in Bexar, Dallas, Harris and Travis counties to “postpone surgeries and procedures that are not immediately, medically necessary to correct a serious medical condition or to preserve the life of a patient who without immediate performance of the surgery or procedure would be at risk for serious adverse medical consequences or death, as determined by the patient’s physician.”
“As these counties experience a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we are committed to working alongside hospitals to help ensure that every COVID-19 patient who needs a bed will have access to one,” Abbott said in a news release Tuesday. “We are constantly monitoring the data at the local level and will continue to take precautionary action where it is necessary. I want to remind all Texans that each of us have a responsibility to help slow the spread of this virus, and I urge everyone to wear a mask, wash their hands regularly, practice social distancing, and stay home if possible.”
