Texas requests federally-supported COVID-19 testing sites, monoclonal antibodies

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HOUSTON - Texas has requested resources for federally-supported COVID-19 testing locations in six counties, additional federal allocations of monoclonal antibodies and medical personnel, Governor Greg Abbott announced on Friday.

Based on current COVID-19 metrics, the state requested support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for testing sites in Bexar, Cameron, Dallas, Harris, Hidalgo and Tarrant counties, officials say.

The request for resources was made through the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Department of State Health Services.

According to a news release from the governor’s office, DSHS also has requested additional allocations of sotrovimab, the monoclonal antibody therapeutic that is proven to be effective in fighting the Omicron variant and reducing hospitalizations.

The agency also requested that the federal government continue to supply the State of Texas with Regeneron and bamlanivimab, monoclonal antibody treatments for other strains of COVID-19 that have also proven to help reduce hospitalizations across the state, officials say.

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DSHS has also requested three teams of medical personnel to provide additional support to hospitals in urban areas of the state that do not have DSHS-contracted staff.

"Detecting COVID-19 and preventing COVID-related hospitalizations are critical to our fight against this virus," Governor Abbott said in a statement. "While the Biden administration has cut supplies of monoclonal antibody treatments and testing kits when they are needed most, the State of Texas is urging the federal government to step up in this fight and provide the resources necessary to help protect Texans. Testing sites, additional medical staff, and continued shipments of therapeutics from the federal government will help us continue to save lives and mitigate the spread of COVID-19."

Earlier this week, DSHS said regional infusion centers in Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, San Antonio and The Woodlands exhausted their supply of sotrovimab and wouldn’t be able to offer it until federal authorities ship more to Texas in January.

In a statement earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said "the federal government’s current supply of sotrovimab is extremely limited, and additional doses of the product will not be available until the week of January 3rd."