Elective procedures are now banned in eight counties around the state — Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Travis, Cameron, Hidalgo, Nueces, and Webb

Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday morning that he is putting a stop to elective surgeries and other procedures in four South Texas counties that are seeing a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

The latest ban on elective procedures applies to Cameron, Hidalgo, Nueces and Webb counties.

As of Monday, Nueces County had total 1,915 cases; Cameron County had 2,183 cases; Hidalgo County 3,294 cases, and Webb County 1,457 cases.

In the Lower Rio Grande Valley, a trauma service region that includes Cameron and Hidalgo counties, 45 ICU beds were available as of Monday.

In the Coastal Bend trauma service region, comprising the city of Corpus Christi in Nueces County, only 9 ICU beds were recorded as available on Monday.