Texas troopers have begun screening travelers from neighboring Louisiana
ORANGE, Texas — State troopers started stopping and screening travelers entering Southeast Texas from Louisiana on Sunday, in accordance with an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott.
Troopers stopped vehicles at a visitors center on Interstate 10 near Orange, about 100 miles east of Houston, and required travelers to complete a travel form, said Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Stephanie Davis, who told KFDMTV that no one was being turned back.
“The established screening stations will take place on major roadways … including interstate highways and other high-volume routes,” Davis said in a statement.
Sunday is the first day troopers conducted the screenings, a week after Abbott’s order was issued, Davis said. The order also calls for travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the state.
State health officials on Sunday reported at least 6,669 cases and 118 COVID-19 deaths in Texas, up from 6,100 cases and at least 105 fatalities reported Saturday.
Louisiana health officials reported 68 coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, marking the state’s biggest jump in reported deaths since the outbreak began.
The Louisiana Department of Health reported the figures on its website Sunday. The number of infections reported to the state also increased by more than 500 cases from 12,496 to 13,010. A total of 477 people have died. Louisiana and the New Orleans area have been an epicenter for the virus, and Gov. John Bel Edwards has repeatedly warned of looming shortages for ventilators and intensive care units. In an interview on CNN Sunday, Edwards said the New Orleans area is expected to exceed its ventilator capacity around April 9 and ICU bed capacity days later.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause pneumonia.