With new cases of the coronavirus and hospitalizations spiking in Texas as winter approaches, Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday launched a program to provide small businesses with rapid tests for their employees.
Abbott said the Texas Division of Emergency Management will give local chambers of commerce testing supplies that will be allocated to participating businesses.
“This effective strategy will help us detect and mitigate this virus while ensuring that Texas remains safely open for business,” said Abbott, who said the tests were provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The state promised school districts in October a similar distribution program. On Monday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 8,712 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 33 new deaths.
Health officials said Monday that 8,790 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in Texas. For several days last week, Texas surpassed a daily count of 9,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients, marking the first time that happened since a deadly summer outbreak.
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