Governor Abbott Directs Agencies To Test All Texas Nursing Home Residents, Staff

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott Monday directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to test 100% of residents and staff in Texas nursing homes.

The Governor instructed HHSC, TDEM, and DSHS to develop and implement a plan based on the guidance of Vice President Mike Pence and Doctor Deborah Birx.

“The State of Texas is working to rapidly expand our testing capacity—especially among vulnerable populations in Texas nursing homes,” said Governor Abbott. “This important collaboration among HHSC, TDEM, and DSHS will ensure that any potential clusters of COVID-19 cases in nursing homes are quickly detected and contained.”

Throughout the country, the problem has been a critical flashpoint for flashpoints for COVID-19 deaths with no reporting until anonymous reports led to the discovery of bodies stacked up.

The historic understaffing and lack of sanitary conditions contribute to a problem even before the pandemic. Now it can easily become a breathing ground for the problem.