Hays County included in governor’s new proclamation suspending elective surgeries

Gov. Greg Abbott suspended elective surgeries in over 100 counties Thursday, including Hays County. 

The governor’s new proclamation, which aims to free up hospital space as COVID-19 cases increase throughout the state, goes into effect Friday. Abbott previously suspended elective surgeries at hospitals in Bexar, Cameron, Dallas, Harris, Hidalgo, Nueces, Travis and Webb counties. 

"The State of Texas continues to implement strategies to help ensure ample supply of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients," Abbott said in a press release. "By expanding this directive to include the counties within these 11 (Trauma Service Areas), we are freeing up more resources to address upticks in COVID-19 related cases.” 

Abbott’s new proclamation comes after the Texas Department of State Health Services reported a record 105 new COVID-19 deaths Thursday and that 9,610 Texans are currently hospitalized by the disease. According to the DSHS, there have been 230,346 Texans diagnosed with the coronavirus and there have 2,918 fatalities. 

The Hays County Local Health Department reported Thursday that the county has 2,792 active COVID-19 cases and has had 3,409 total lab-confirmed cases. 

The governor’s newest proclamation directs all hospitals located within 11 trauma service areas — all counties within TSA J, K, M, O, P,  Q, R, S, T, U and V that are not already covered by Executive Order GA-27— to postpone surgeries and procedures not immediately and medically necessary. Counties surrounding San Marcos are also included in Abbott's proclamation — Blanco, Caldwell, Comal and Guadalupe. Texas is divided into 22  trauma service areas. The state reports the daily number of available hospital beds and COVID-19 patients in each of the trauma service areas. 

“The State of Texas will continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread of this virus and support our hospitals and health care professionals as they care for their fellow Texans,” Abbott said. “We must all come together and continue to practice social distancing, wear a face covering in public, and stay home when possible."