Greg Abbott held a briefing on Friday at the State Capitol to update the public on the COVID-19 response in Texas. Abbott said during the press conference that 11,450 Texans have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday. Of those, more than 1,500 Texans have been hospitalized and 221 people in the state have died due to the illness, Abbott said. The Governor said the state will also begin releasing the number of Texans who have recovered, which means they must clear a 14-day period of “being free of COVID-19,” Abbott said. At Wednesday’s briefing, Abbott said more than 96,250 Texans have been tested for COVID-19, and 9,107 have returned positive.