The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. August 18, 2021 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Tests Positive for Coronavirus ----------------------------------------------------- Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has tested positive for coronavirus. Abbott's office said he has been fully vaccinated and was not experiencing any symptoms. He is being treated with Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment, which is given to people with a high likelihood of developing severe COVID, though it's unclear whether Abbott fits into that risk group. NBC News is also reporting he may have had a third booster dose of the vaccine. Abbott imposed a statewide ban on vaccine and mask mandates in July. Two school districts are challenging the ban in court. The day before his office announced his coronavirus diagnosis, Abbott attended a packed, indoor Republican Club event in Dallas, where he and most attendees were unmasked. In other news from Texas, health officials have requested mortuary trailers from FEMA as the rising number of COVID deaths could surpass the state's capacity to hold the bodies. .