Homeland Security Committee holds hearing on response to COVID-19 pandemic at 11 a.m.

Harris County public health official will be among witnesses

People wait inside their vehicles in line at COVID-19 testing site Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in Houston. Texas has surpassed 10,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time as a resurgence of the outbreak rages across the U.S. The record high of 10,028 confirmed cases Tuesday follows Republican Gov. Greg Abbott decision to mandate masks in much of the state and to close bars, retreating from what had been one of Americas fastest reopenings. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) (David J. Phillip, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The House Committee on Homeland Security will hold a hearing about “Examining the National Response to the Worsening Coronavirus Pandemic” on Wednesday morning.

The virtual meeting is slated to begin at 11 a.m. but delays are possible. If there is not a livestream available, check back at a later time.

Recommended Videos



Dr. Umair A. Shah, the executive director of the Harris County Public Health, will be among the witnesses to speak during the briefing.

778 new COVID-19 cases, 5 new deaths reported in Bexar County

Houston in Harris County and San Antonio are among the nation’s biggest cities where intensive care units are filling up due to the surge in COVID-19 patients, according to the Associated Press. Nearly 80% of the state’s hospital beds are in use.

Texas has recorded more than 2,670 deaths and more than 200,000 confirmed cases of the virus. Across the U.S., there have been 3 million confirmed infections and over 130,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic four months ago.

Read also:

Window into virus surge: Death, recovery at Houston hospital

Months into crisis, Americans face frustrating test delays

Texas passes 10,000 confirmed new virus cases in single day

‘She was my rock. She was my foundation,’ father of four shares experience after losing wife to Covid-19 complications


About the Author:

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.