HOUSTON — In current days, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas commemorated the anniversary of India’s independence with a crowd in his workplace. He mingled with tons of of Republican supporters at a packed marketing campaign occasion. He posed with the brother of the famed guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Images from the occasions present that few of those that met with the governor wore masks, and neither did Mr. Abbott, who has prohibited native governments from mandating them.
So when Mr. Abbott examined constructive for the coronavirus this week, Texans started questioning the circumstances that will have led to his an infection and the efforts to establish those that might have been in shut contact with the governor, who was absolutely vaccinated.
At the least 10 different sitting governors — 4 Democrats and 6 Republicans — have contracted the virus for the reason that pandemic started, however Mr. Abbott’s analysis landed in the course of a pitched battle between the governor and his largest cities over public well being measures in colleges and as Covid-19 sufferers are once more packing hospitals.
In its announcement on Tuesday, Mr. Abbott’s workplace mentioned the governor, 63, is examined day by day and commenced receiving monoclonal antibody therapy after his constructive end result. The therapy is used to assist forestall hospitalization and is normally reserved for many who have compromised immune methods or different underlying circumstances, or these older than 65.
Mr. Abbott’s age alone would place him at better threat for development to extreme Covid-19, mentioned Dr. Jessica Justman, an infectious-disease specialist and epidemiology professor at Columbia College’s Mailman Faculty of Public Well being. That Mr. Abbott is paralyzed from the waist down — he was injured by a falling tree in 1984 and makes use of a wheelchair — provides medical complexity as a result of it will increase the chance of different infections, she added.
Mr. Abbott’s aides declined to elaborate additional on his situation, besides to say that monoclonal antibody therapy should be authorized by a physician. The governor obtained his first vaccine dose in December.
His aides additionally wouldn’t present Mr. Abbott’s schedule or describe his actions in current days. Hours earlier than his constructive check, nevertheless, Mr. Abbott spoke earlier than a crowd of a number of hundred folks in a small golf and retirement neighborhood north of Dallas referred to as Heritage Ranch. The governor could possibly be seen in pictures posted by his marketing campaign talking on a stage and shaking palms with members of the native Republican membership.
It was not instantly clear what efforts had been made to establish and quarantine those that have been in shut contact with the governor. His workplace referred questions again to its assertion on Tuesday, which mentioned all of Mr. Abbott’s shut contacts “right this moment” had been notified.
Collin County, the place the occasion came about, doesn’t conduct its personal contact tracing, a county spokesman mentioned, relying as an alternative on the state well being division, which didn’t reply to an inventory of questions on its efforts to find shut contacts of Mr. Abbott.
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Aug. 18, 2021, 10:06 p.m. ET
A picture posted on Monday to Mr. Abbott’s private Twitter account confirmed him posing with Jimmie Vaughan, a well known blues rock guitarist primarily based in Texas whose brother died in 1990. Shortly after Mr. Abbott introduced his constructive check, Mr. Vaughan mentioned in a press release that he had examined damaging.
On Friday, the governor met in his workplace with no less than 18 folks — “buddies from the Indian American neighborhood right here within the state of Texas” — to commemorate the anniversary of India’s independence. Just one masks could possibly be seen.
But it surely was pictures of the occasion in Collin County on Monday evening that drew probably the most consideration.
That the governor had been at a big and virtually fully mask-less occasion a day earlier than his constructive check dramatized the largely two-track expertise of the virus in Texas — and underscored the politically charged nature of any response.
Collin County, as soon as reliably conservative, has change into hotly contested by Democrats and is seen by many political analysts in Texas as a bellwether for the state. Democratic candidates and activists believed they may flip the county in 2020 however got here up brief. Mr. Trump gained the county by greater than 4 proportion factors.
Energizing Republican voters within the county is vital for the get together, and staying in contact together with his base is vital for Mr. Abbott, who’s going through challenges within the Republican main subsequent 12 months from a number of candidates who see him as susceptible on the best.
Perceive the State of Vaccine and Masks Mandates within the U.S.
Masks guidelines. The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention in July advisable that every one People, no matter vaccination standing, put on masks in indoor public locations inside areas experiencing outbreaks, a reversal of the steerage it supplied in Could. See the place the C.D.C. steerage would apply, and the place states have instituted their very own masks insurance policies. The battle over masks has change into contentious in some states, with some native leaders defying state bans.Vaccine guidelines . . . and businesses. Non-public corporations are more and more mandating coronavirus vaccines for workers, with various approaches. Such mandates are legally allowed and have been upheld in court docket challenges.School and universities. Greater than 400 faculties and universities are requiring college students to be vaccinated towards Covid-19. Virtually all are in states that voted for President Biden.Colleges. On Aug. 11, California introduced that it could require lecturers and employees of each private and non-private colleges to be vaccinated or face common testing, the primary state within the nation to take action. A survey launched in August discovered that many American dad and mom of school-age youngsters are against mandated vaccines for college kids, however have been extra supportive of masks mandates for college kids, lecturers and employees members who shouldn’t have their pictures. Hospitals and medical facilities. Many hospitals and main well being methods are requiring workers to get a Covid-19 vaccine, citing rising caseloads fueled by the Delta variant and stubbornly low vaccination charges of their communities, even inside their work pressure.New York. On Aug. 3, Mayor Invoice de Blasio of New York introduced that proof of vaccination can be required of staff and clients for indoor eating, gyms, performances and different indoor conditions, changing into the primary U.S. metropolis to require vaccines for a broad vary of actions. Metropolis hospital staff should additionally get a vaccine or be subjected to weekly testing. Related guidelines are in place for New York State workers.On the federal stage. The Pentagon introduced that it could search to make coronavirus vaccinations obligatory for the nation’s 1.3 million active-duty troops “no later” than the center of September. President Biden introduced that every one civilian federal workers must be vaccinated towards the coronavirus or undergo common testing, social distancing, masks necessities and restrictions on most journey.
Mr. Abbott’s response final 12 months to the coronavirus, measures that included enterprise restrictions and a masks mandate, angered some Republicans and helped spark a revolt throughout the state get together. Allen West, the previous Florida congressman, was elevated to the get together’s prime publish final summer time and has since stop the place to problem Mr. Abbott.
However as coronavirus hospitalizations have once more surged within the state, nearing final 12 months’s peaks, Mr. Abbott has resisted calls for brand new mandates. He additionally has banned native elected officers from imposing masks or vaccine necessities. After leaders in a number of giant cities, together with Dallas, San Antonio and Houston, bucked the order and went forward with masks mandates, the governor took them to court docket. The Texas Supreme Court docket is at the moment weighing the problem.
Rather than mandates, the governor has as an alternative urged Texans — whose charge of vaccination lags the nationwide common — to get vaccinated voluntarily. As intensive care models change into more and more crammed, he has requested hospitals to voluntarily postpone elective procedures and has expanded the usage of the monoclonal antibody therapy he’s now receiving. The state well being division additionally has requested 5 mortuary trailers from the federal authorities to be deployed as wanted, although none had been requested by cities or counties as of Tuesday.
In a brief video message about his constructive check, Mr. Abbott pointed to his personal vaccination to elucidate why he didn’t really feel sick. “I’ve obtained the Covid-19 vaccine and which may be one cause why I’m actually not feeling any signs proper now,” he mentioned from a balcony within the Governor’s Mansion overlooking the State Capitol.
However his therapy, and the lack of knowledge about it, raised questions even amongst some docs. “It’s onerous to piece it collectively from the general public data,” mentioned Dr. Peter J. Hotez, a professor at Baylor School of Drugs in Houston and a vaccine knowledgeable.
The usage of monoclonal antibodies earlier than any signs develop shouldn’t be uncommon, although, mentioned Dr. Aruna Subramanian, an infectious-disease physician at Stanford Drugs. “It’s actually meant for people who find themselves not but within the hospital to stop hospitalization,” she mentioned. “The sooner you get it, the higher.”
However, she added, the extent of testing and therapy obtained by Mr. Abbott shouldn’t be typical. “This must be all of the extra cause for folks to get vaccinated, and put on masks and take precautions,” she mentioned. “As a result of they’re not going to get the therapy he’s getting.”
