AUSTIN - The federal government has granted an extension for support of community-based COVID-19 testing sites in Texas.
On, Friday Governor Greg Abbott announced that the federal government had granted his request to extend operations for the testing sites across Texas.
RELATED: Gov. Abbott orders Texas bars to close, restaurants to scale back to 50% capacity
"The State of Texas remains unwavering in our efforts to secure access to testing in communities across the state," said Governor Abbott. "These federally-supported testing sites are a vital component of this commitment."
The federal government will maintain support for the program while surging resources to Dallas and Houston in order to support testing needs within the community.
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Abbott encourages Texans to wear masks in public, but is not ordering statewide mandate
On Tuesday evening, Abbott told FOX 7 Austin that having local officials adopt face-covering policies is the right approach.
"I thank our federal partners for extending these operations in Texas, and for their flexibility in allocating their resources to the communities of Dallas and Houston that are experiencing a high number of COVID-19 cases right now. By continuing to increase testing and remaining vigilant against outbreaks of COVID-19, we will mitigate the spread of this virus and keep our communities safe," said Governor Abbott.
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Rep. Dan Crenshaw applauded the decision by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to extend federal support for COVID-19 testing sites in Houston.
Crenshaw spoke directly to Admiral Giroir, who is leading the administration’s testing strategy, and thanked him for making the right decision to extend the June 30 deadline.
FOX 26 Houston is working to keep you up to date with coronavirus, with both local and national developments. You can also get the latest COVID-19 news from around the country at coronavirusnow.com.