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(CNN) -
The recent spike in covid-19 hospitalizations this summer is having a profound effect on Texas, a state that has seen its leaders reject measures such as mandatory use of masks but is now facing overcrowded hospitals. sick patients.
And amid the crises in health centers, as well as the legal battles being fought over the legality of safety measures in schools, the recent news that Governor Greg Abbott has tested positive for covid- 19 has underscored the message from health officials that Texans must remain vigilant during the pandemic.
The State Department of Health Services said Texas is in "one of its worst battles" it has ever faced against COVID-19, and the mortuary trailers were requested this month as a readiness maneuver.
"Concerns about hospital capacity are getting worse. Deaths are increasing faster," the department said Wednesday.
More than 12,400 people are hospitalized with the virus as of Wednesday, according to state data, an increase from 10,791 last Wednesday.
Texas: Lawsuit against anyone who makes use of face masks mandatory 0:46
Beds in intensive care units are running low, and health workers are working frantically to find space available for those in need.
At the Goodall Witcher Hospital, located in the central Texas town of Clifton, officials have difficulty transferring COVID-19 patients in need of ICU care to other hospitals as they are at capacity limits. they say.
Nurse chief Joycesarah McCabe told CNN affiliate KWTX that she is calling hospitals across Texas looking for availability.
Sometimes calls are made to neighboring states, such as Louisiana or New Mexico.
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"We don't have beds, and that's where the conversation ends. Some will say 'we're closed, we're on full detour, we've been on full detour for two weeks,'" McCabe told KWTX.
"Sometimes on the other end of the phone there is someone who says, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.' Because they know we're desperate."
McCabe said that the employees themselves have lost family or friends while providing care at the rural hospital.
"A nurse, a sonographer and one of our doctors lost someone on Saturday or Sunday to covid. The youngest was 21, the oldest 38," McCabe told KWTX.
Justin Squyres, a doctor at the hospital, told KWTX: "I lost my brother on Saturday. We waited five days for an ICU bed and it never happened."
"I have no way of knowing if a bed in the ICU would have saved him," Squyres said.
"But it is not the only one, there are many others," he lamented.
Emergency room nurses and paramedics treat patients in the hallways of the Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital on August 18, 2021 in Houston, Texas.
Across Houston, hospitals have been forced to treat hundreds of patients in hallways and corridors as their emergency rooms are overcrowded due to the sharp increase in cases of the delta variant.
The data shows that the battle to stop the covid-19 is arduous
The Texas Department of Health and Human Services (DSHS) is encouraging residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19 to prevent the number of infections from escalating, as there are only 322 ICU beds available in the state.
"Complete vaccination prevents almost all cases of serious illness, hospitalization and death," the department said.
Nearly 66% of Texans who are eligible to get vaccinated have received at least one dose, according to state data, and 54.7% were fully vaccinated.
This figure is slightly lower than the national average of 70.2% of eligible recipients with at least one dose and 59.6% fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
As Covid-19 Cases Increase Among Teens, Vaccination Rate Increases, According to CNN Analysis
Younger people across the country have been vaccinated less than older individuals, and health experts point to an increase in inoculations in all age groups as a way to help curb the pandemic.
The seven-day moving average of vaccinations for children ages 12 to 17 is increasing in Texas, according to DSHS, from an average of about 10,500 vaccinations in early July to about 21,500 on Monday.
One-third of children ages 12 to 17 in the state are now fully vaccinated, the department said.
However, children under the age of 12 cannot yet be vaccinated.
And Texas is the state with the most pediatric hospitalizations for COVID-19 in the country, with 239, according to the latest data released Monday by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Florida, which has also been heavily affected by pediatric infections and has received criticism along with Texas for the refusal of state leaders to allow the imposition of local masks, had 170 children hospitalized with covid-19.
Local districts challenge ban on mandatory mask use
Elected state officials have made no secret of their intention to continue to prevent local school districts from enforcing the mandatory use of masks in schools.
Texas: Lawsuit against anyone who makes use of face masks mandatory 0:46
This week, the office of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, released an updated list of government entities that he says "illegally enforce the wearing of masks" and do not comply with Abbott's ordinance prohibiting government entities, including school districts require the use of masks.
"I am committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of all Texans," Paxton said on Twitter.
Some of the entities that appear on the list of breaches have filed lawsuits that are currently being processed in the judicial system.
A recent ruling by the Texas Supreme Court aligned itself with the Abbott decree.
However, some districts are defending themselves by seeking out-of-court solutions.
The Paris Independent School District (PISD), located northeast of Dallas, voted to modify its current dress code to include face masks.
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"The board believes that the dress code can be used to mitigate communicable health problems, and therefore has modified the PISD dress code to protect our students and employees," the district said in a statement.
"The governor of Texas does not have the authority to usurp the exclusive power and duty of the board of trustees to govern and oversee the management of the district's public schools," he said.
Given that Abbott - who is fully vaccinated and assured Texans on Wednesday that he was in a good mood - tested positive for COVID-19, critics singled out the moment as yet another test for mask use and caution.
The chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, Gilberto Hinojosa, urged local governments to go ahead with their mandates.
"I wish Governor Abbott the best: no one deserves to be sick or suffer from this insurmountable virus. My hope is that the Governor realizes how vulnerable we are to this health crisis, stops playing politics and does what is necessary for the health of all Texans, "Hinojosa said.
"Children's lives cannot be negotiated for a potential political victory. I commend the nearly dozen school districts and local governments who continue to defy the governor's orders and who, despite strong opposition, choose to do the right thing for the safety of our children and communities. "
- CNN's Rosa Flores, Raja Razek, Ray Sanchez, Kay Jones, Nicole Williams and Mallory Simon contributed to this report.
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