Gov. Abbott tells ABC-7 that virus is ‘contained’ – even as Texas passes grim 1,000 death milestone
EL PASO, Texas -- Gov. Greg Abbott, in an interview with ABC-7, maintained coronavirus growth "is very slow and very contained" throughout Texas and in El Paso, even though the city just recorded its deadliest day and the state Friday passed a grim milestone reaching 1,004 total fatalities.
"In the state of Texas, the growth rate of Covid-19 is very slow and very contained, the same is true in El Paso, but for the state and for El Paso there are three exceptions to that, all three of which are in play in El Paso right now," the governor said.
He continued, "First, sometimes, there are outbreaks in jails, second there are outbreaks in meat packing or a meat processing facility, in your case one in New Mexico where people live in El Paso, and the third, the biggest challenge is in nursing homes, or senior centers."
The Stampede meat plant in adjacent Santa Teresa had at least five employees test positive for the virus, but there have been no other known cases involving meat processors in the area. The Rogelio Sanchez State Jail has also reported 31 cases, but most of those infected have since recovered.
El Paso officials have not named any nursing homes or senior centers with outbreaks and say no clusters exist. Cases have appeared, though, in those types of facilities in several El Paso zip codes.
Abbott skirted directly answering a question from ABC-7 about El Paso's largest outbreak to date, which has occurred at the state-run El Paso Psychiatric Center where there have been 53 confirmed cases and an employee's death.
"Whenever there's an outbreak, it could be like the one you talked about, or a senior living facility, whenever there is an outbreak there we go in and we test everybody in that facility," Abbott did offer. "The Health and Human Services Commission will be in charge of that particular effort but they will go in and identify those who tests positive and separate them from those who test negative so we can contain the spread of Covid-19 in that particular facility and then help those, physically, who test positive."
As the state proceeds into Abbott's second phase of economic reopening, Texas has confirmed 36,609 cases of the novel coronavirus and performed 477,118 tests, according to the latest state data.
"We increased testing," Abbott proclaimed during the interview. "Know this for everybody in El Paso, there are now going to be three new testing sites available to everybody in El Paso and connected to Walmart where you can go and get tested for free... we want everybody to get a test who wants a test."
Despite what the governor said about testing, it isn't actually the reality in El Paso. Everyone who wants a test cannot get one at Walmart, as those tests are only for first-responders, healthcare workers, or those who are symptomatic.
When asked about the possibility of El Paso Mayor Dee Margo and County Judge Ricardo Samaniego asking him to cap the re-opening of businesses here at 25-percent capacity due to the recent surge in cases and deaths, Abbott would not give a direct answer.
Margo has said "if the numbers continue to rise and we have continued issues here then Judge Samaniego and I will have a conversation as early as next Monday with the governor’s office about potentially limiting even more (business) expansion."
