AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation Thursday suspending elective surgeries in hospitals in all counties located within 11 trauma service areas (TSAs) in Texas. This includes Tom Green County, and many of its neighbors.
Taylor County and its surrounding areas were not part of Thursday's order.
Previously, Abbott 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 TSAs, we are freeing up more resources to address upticks in COVID-19 related cases. 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. We must all come together and continue to practice social distancing, wear a face covering in public, and stay home when possible."
Under the proclamation, Abbott directs all hospitals in the named counties to postpone surgeries and procedures that are not immediately, medically-necessary to correct a serious medical condition or to preserve the life of a patient who without immediate performance of the surgery or procedure would be at risk for serious adverse medical consequences or death, as determined by the patient’s physician.
Through proclamation, the governor can add or subtract from the list of counties included in his original executive order and subsequent proclamations to address surges in hospitalizations that may arise in other parts of the state.
The following counties are included in the governor's proclamation:
All counties within TSA J—Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Ector, Glasscock, Howard, Jeff Davis, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, and Winkler counties;
All counties within TSA K—Coke, Concho, Crockett, Irion, Kimble, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton, and Tom Green counties;
All counties within TSA O that are not already covered by Executive Order GA-27—Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, San Saba, and Williamson counties;
Texas is divided into 22 regions called trauma service areas (TSAs), provided for the formation of a regional advisory council (RAC) in each region to develop and implement a regional trauma system plan, delineated the trauma facility designation process, and provided for the development of a state trauma registry.
