Garcia and Green are critical of lack of tests

U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia didn’t mince words on Tuesday in describing Texas’ slow progress on testing for the coronavirus.

“Texas is nowhere near where it needs to be in testing, especially as the state is taking steps to reopen our economy,” the Houston Democrat said. “We have a responsibility to keep our constituents safe and cannot allow for vulnerable communities like African-Americans, Latinos, and senior citizens to be left behind in our efforts to fully tackle COVID-19.”

Garcia’s comments come as she and U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, sent letters to Gov. Greg Abbott and the Federal Emergency Management Agency calling for more mobile testing units, especially in “vulnerable communities.”

Their pressure on Abbott and FEMA comes as the governor points to an increase in testing. Just since Monday, the state reported a 15,000-test increase — the biggest one-day jump since the pandemic began spreading in the U.S.

Texas has still conducted far fewer tests for COVID-19 than other big states. Florida and New York, each with nearly 10 million fewer people than Texas, both have tested far more people.

As of late Tuesday, Florida had tested 284,206 people for the virus and has almost 28,000 positive cases. Texas has tested 205,399 people and has just over 20,000 confirmed cases. New York has tested over 649,000 people and has more than 295,000 positive cases. Even smaller states such as Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma have been testing at a higher rate per capita than Texas according to a Houston Chronicle analysis.

On Monday, Abbott announced that the Texas National Guard will set up 25 mobile testing centers around the state as Texas tries to boost its testing capabilities.

Abbott said each of the mobile sites will be able to test up to 150 people per day.