Coronavirus in Texas 4/13: Texas reports 13,906 cases and 287 deaths

Monday’s biggest developments

• New state numbers: 13,906 cases and 287 deaths
• Gov. Greg Abbott says the reopening of the Texas economy will be slow. He expects to announce details of his plans later this week.

Abbott says it “would be up to the doctors” to say whether abortion order is medically sound

[2:04 p.m.] Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday briefly waded into the federal court battle over Texas officials’ near-total ban on abortion during the coronavirus pandemic, saying the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals “agreed with the decision that I made.”

“I haven’t had a chance to keep up with what may be going on at the United States Supreme Court,” Abbott said of the case, which Attorney General Ken Paxton has said may ultimately reach the country’s highest federal court. “The last I saw is that it seems like the 5th Circuit agreed with the decision that I made.”

Asked whether Paxton’s interpretation that Abbott’s ban on nonessential medical procedures — designed to conserve resources for COVID-19 patients — includes almost all abortions “went too far,” Abbott pointed to the federal appeals court’s latest ruling, which sided with state officials and prohibited the procedure under all but a few narrow circumstances.

“There are two ways to view whether or not it was sound,” Abbott said at a press conference. “One is whether or not it was legally sound, and according to the 5th Circuit, it was legally sound. The second is whether or not it is medically sound, and that would be up to doctors.”

On Friday the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said the only patients who may terminate their pregnancies in Texas are those who would pass the legal 22-week gestational limit for abortions while a gubernatorial emergency order barring elective medical procedures remains in place. The next day, abortion providers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take emergency action to restore “essential, time-sensitive medication abortion services.”

Abortion rights advocates say clinics should be able to continue providing medication abortions, which involve taking pills, in spite of the ban because those types of abortions don’t use medical resources cited in the executive order.

Abbott’s executive order as written exempts procedures that “if performed in accordance with the commonly accepted standard of clinical practice, would not deplete the hospital capacity or the personal protective equipment needed to cope with the COVID-19 disaster.” — Sami Sparber

Reopening of Texas economy will be slow, Abbott says

[1 p.m.] Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that reopening the Texas economy will be a “slow process” guided by public health concerns as he continued to preview a forthcoming executive order that will detail his strategy to reignite business in the state.

Abbott, who first hinted at his plans during a news conference Friday, said he’ll outline them later this week. Asked for more details Monday, he indicated his announcement will include a “comprehensive team” that he said will “evaluate what must be done for Texas to open back up, ensuring what we are doing is consistent with data, with medical analysis, as well as strategies about which type of businesses will be able to open up.”

“This is not gonna be a rush-the-gates, everybody-is-able-to-suddenly-reopen-all-at-once” situation, Abbott said during a news conference at the Texas Capitol in Austin where he announced $50 million in loans to small businesses suffering under the pandemic.

Abbott also told reporters to expect an announcement this week on whether schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year. Abbott previously ordered them closed until May 4. — Patrick Svitek

Texas reports 13,906 cases and 287 deaths

[12:45 p.m.] Texas reported 422 more cases of the new coronavirus Monday, an increase of about 3% over the previous day, bringing the total number of known cases to 13,906. Motley County reported its first case Monday; more than two-thirds of the state’s 254 counties have reported at least one case.

Harris County has reported the most cases, 3,629, followed by Dallas County, which has reported 1,723 cases.

The state has reported 16 additional deaths, bringing the statewide total to 287 — an increase of about 6% from Sunday. Harris County reported three additional deaths, bringing its total to 44 deaths, more than any other county.

As of Monday, 1,176 patients are known to be hospitalized in Texas. That’s a decrease of 162 patients from Sunday. At least 133,226 tests have been conducted. — Anna Novak

More coronavirus cases could follow first wave

[5 a.m.] While some models show the new coronavirus could peak in Texas in late April or early May, the disease could persist for a long time, and there might be more waves of cases, The Dallas Morning News reported. Health care policymakers are studying the spread of the disease as they decide whether and when to loosen social distancing restrictions.