EL PASO — Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to lift COVID-19 restrictions in Texas is “extremely reckless, dangerous and absurd,” said the county judge here, and further complicates life for this border region already devastated by the virus. “We’re a community that still has saturated funeral homes,” County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said Wednesday. “It feels like we’re at a wake and …

WASHINGTON – A day after Gov. Greg Abbott announced an end to all pandemic-related precautions in Texas, President Joe Biden slammed him Wednesday for putting lives at risk by clinging to “Neanderthal thinking” rather than heeding advice from the nation’s top scientists. “I think it’s a big mistake,” Biden told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with lawmakers. “We are …

AUSTIN — Gov. Greg Abbott’s four medical advisers were not all on board with his move to end the state’s coronavirus restrictions — or even included in the decision. “I don’t think this is the right time,” said advisor Mark McClellan, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, adding he was not consulted before the decision. “Texas has …

] Health authorities are closely watching an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new strain of coronavirus known as COVID-19. Here are the answers to key questions about the outbreak: What is the virus? Scientists have identified the virus as a novel, or new, coronavirus. The name comes from the Latin word for crowns or halos, which coronaviruses resemble …

xes As more rounds of COVID-19 vaccine doses make their way to the Houston area, local county leaders and health officials are working to implement the best plans possible for distribution. Here’s a vaccine distribution breakdown. City of Houston Updated: March 3, 2021 The Houston Health Department announced Wednesday morning that a new waitlist specifically for the one-dose Johnson & …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Daily deaths in Texas from the COVID-19 virus would increase by 50% without a mask mandate, according to data models from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Texas hit a peak of daily deaths in mid-January, losing between 300 and 350 Texans per day. That has dipped below 300 deaths per day in February and is …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A 37-year-old Houston woman is being accused of buying dozens of luxury items using CARES Act money. The Justice Department indicted 37-year-old LaDonna Wiggins with bank fraud, making a false statement to a bank and money laundering According to a statement issued on Tuesday, Wiggins submitted two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and received more …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Following Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to lift all COVID-19 restrictions, including ending the mask mandate, almost every school district across the Houston area indicated they were waiting for Texas Education Agency guidance on how to move forward. But on Wednesday, the TEA said it will be up to each school district on whether to maintain mandated COVID-19 …

CYPRESS, Texas (KTRK) — While mask-wearing and pandemic restrictions are becoming even more controversial in Texas, for a Cypress family, the issues are clear. Victoria Gallardo, a 33-year-old mother of five, is in a medically-induced coma fighting for her life after contracting COVID-19. “It breaks my heart when the doctor says there’s nothing else they can do. She’s not done,” …

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — If you liked the weather Wednesday, you’re going to love the weather Thursday! In the morning temperatures will dip into the low 40s, and you’ll want a jacket if you’re out and about before 8 a.m. We’re expecting a mostly sunny sky to warm temperatures into the low 70s Thursday afternoon. High clouds will increase as …