Coronavirus: Governor Deploys Texas National Guard

AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday he is activating the Texas National Guard in response to the growing threat of new coronavirus.

The move comes as positive tests for the respiratory ailment now total at least 69 statewide. In the capital city of Austin, ten positive tests have been confirmed. In Matagorda County some 85 miles of Houston, the first fatality in Texas related to the new coronavirus — a man in his 90s who was the second patient in the area to test positive — was confirmed overnight by health officials there.

In explaining the move, Abbott said members of the Texas National Guard are poised to assist with response efforts relating to combating COVID-19. The preparative measure will ensure that the Texas National Guard can assist in various forms throughout the state when needed, he said. Healthcare workers and first responders who are members of the Texas National Guard are excluded from the activation so that they can continue serving the people of Texas in their respective fields, Abbott added.

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"By activating the Texas National Guard, we are ensuring Texas is prepared as we continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19," Abbott said in a prepared statement. "I am grateful to the men and women of the National Guard for their dedication to serving their fellow Texans, and want to assure the public that this is a precautionary measure to make sure the Texas National Guard has the capability to serve at a moment's notice where they are needed most."

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have sparked outbreaks in the past