Coronavirus updates in Texas: Evictions halted in Harris county; cases spiking in San Antonio, Austin

Today’s biggest developments:

• San Antonio-area cases jump to 25; Travis County cases rise to 23
• Officials are urging Texans to use telemedicine, but not all insurance plans cover it
• As virus spreads and officials urge working from home, some government employees are being forced to still come in

Evictions halted in Harris County

[11:15 a.m.] At a press conference on Thursday morning, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced that justices of the peace won’t conduct evictions until the end of March and she is working to extend this policy to April.

“We don’t want people out on the street simply because they are out of a job,” Hidalgo said.

The county judge explained that it is still unclear how much of the $104 billion from the federal coronavirus relief fund will come to her county, which has a population larger than most states, with more than 4.6 million people.

“It’s very important that part of that aid comes to Harris County,” Hidalgo said. “We hope and believe that our legislative partners will help ensure that those funds arrive.”

Hidalgo also said that a “shelter in place” measure is still a possibility in Harris County. Houston mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted on Tuesday that this policy won’t be happening in the city limits. — Juan Pablo Garnham

Travis County reports 23 positive cases

[8:30 a.m.] The number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Travis County increased to 23 on Wednesday, the Austin American-Statesman reported. That’s an increase of five new cases since Tuesday, according to information from Travis County and Austin health officials. That total includes a physician at the St. David’s Health Care hospital system. — Juan Pablo Garnham

San Antonio COVID-19 cases reach 25

[7:20 a.m.] San Antonio, the first city in Texas to offer drive-through testing for the new coronavirus, has confirmed 25 cases in the area as of Wednesday — more than doubling the total of 11 from earlier in the week, the San Antonio-Express News has reported. University Health System has reported two employees — a nurse and a resident physician — have both tested positive following travel-related exposure and are isolating at home while officials “are working to locate those who were potentially exposed,” the newspaper reported. Another resident physician at UHS previously tested positive. The new cases are not yet reflected in the statewide totals reported by the Texas Department of Health Services, which shows four confirmed cases in Bexar County. — Dave Harmon

Not all insurance plans pay for remote health care that officials are urging

[5:00 a.m.] As millions of Texans isolate themselves in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, state officials are working to ramp up the use of telemedicine, which allows patients to talk to health care workers by phone or video chat.

Doctors this week applauded a sweeping emergency rule from Gov. Greg Abbott that requires state-regulated health plans to pay doctors for virtual visits at the same rate they would for in-person visits. Meanwhile, the federal government is loosening restrictions on telemedicine in Medicare, the public insurance program for the elderly. Still, Texans’ ability to access telemedicine depends largely on the kind of insurance they have — if they have insurance at all. — Edgar Walters

Some government employees aren’t being given the option to work from home

[5:00 a.m.] Donald Trump issued guidelines suggesting people avoid groups larger than 10 people. Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to provide flexible and remote work options to employees.

But despite federal and state guidance, interviews with employees show that government agencies at every level — local, state, federal — are still requiring many workers to come in, forcing them to choose between their health and their job security while potentially putting the public at risk. — Raga Justin and Sami Sparber

Unemployment in Texas is expected to go up, but COVID-19’s full economic punch still unclear

[5:00 a.m.] As Texans limit how much they’re in public, many people have lost jobs or had their hours cut by businesses adapting to limited or shuttered operations. The economic double whammy of the public health crisis combined with the steep drop in oil prices has experts here unclear about how deeply COVID-19 will impact Texas’ economy.

Many hope Congress can agree — quickly — on a large economic stimulus package. But experts say it’s hard to know how much help is enough because no one knows how long the public health crisis will continue. — Mitchell Ferman