Doctors urge GOP to halt Texas convention as virus surges

 As Texas GOP presses ahead with plans for a July convention amid a surge in coronavirus cases, state's largest medical group Tuesday urged party to reconsider before Republican activists flock to Houston, which has become one of nation's most troubling hotspots.

request came as Texas set a new record high for COVID-19 cases Tuesday.

state's GOP leaders have maintained that three-day convention, which typically draws thousands of attendees, will go forward and that face coverings will t be mandated, even as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott urges public to wear m.

In Florida, doctors

new plea from Texas Medical Association, which says it represents more than 50,000 doctors and medical students, amounts to one of most visible calls yet for Republicans to cancel ir in-person convention. organization is also a sponsor of convention, which is scheduled to begin July 16.

“While much of our state has so far been spared brunt of coronavirus attack, our metropolitan areas in general – and Houston in particular – are w among national epicenters of current COVID-19 outbreaks,” group's president, Dr. Diana Fite, wrote in a letter to Texas GOP officials.

She continued: “This is just t time to bring thousands of party faithful from around state to an indoor meeting in a county that, as I write, reports more than 18,000 active COVID-19 cases.”

Texas health officials on Tuesday reported a daily state record of nearly 7,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 6,500 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, which is also a state high.

Texas GOP Chairman James Dickey, who previously described convention as a chance to “lead way” in promoting personal responsibility, issued a statement in which he thanked doctors for letter but was ncommittal about wher it would lead to any changes.

“We are taking all input from those involved with our Convention, including that from our Party leadership and our delegates, very seriously,” Dickey said.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Peña said Monday that city's 911 call volume had increased by 30% over past month, with most of se calls coming from people reporting respiratory difficulties. saturation at local hospitals has resulted in more than 560 instances past three weeks in which city ambulances had to wait for more than an hour before y were able to transfer patients to medical facilities, he said.