Texas Gov Greg Abbott (R) says that, when it is apprpriate, the Texas economy reopens, it will be a "slow process". He is creating "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."
The total of coronavirus cases in Texas hit at least 13,906, with 287 deaths, according to the latest numbers from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Out of Texas' 254 counties, 178 are reporting cases.
"We will ensure that a component of that will include adequate testing," Abbott said, adding that he just had an hourlong conference call with Vice President Mike Pence and Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, about the testing necessary to "safely reopen the state for doing business."
A Texas A&M medical special says Texas is at Stage 2 in a five stage process.
Texas has America’s second-largest state economy, which produced nearly $1.9 trillion of economic output in 2019, which would have ranked the Lone Star State as the world’s 9th largest economy last year.
This came a day after President Donald Trump urged states to get their testing capabilities "perfected" — and hours after Trump declared on Twitter that he has power over governors when it comes to restoring state economies