Abortion Rights: Texas, Ohio Restrict Abortions As Part Of Coronavirus Shutdown Orders

Both Texas and Ohio have limited “non-essential” abortion procedures as both states implement shutdown orders to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

"We must work together as Texans to stop the spread of Covid-19 and ensure that our health care professionals and facilities have all the resources they need to fight the virus at this time," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement on Monday. "No one is exempt from the governor's executive order on medically unnecessary surgeries and procedures, including abortion providers. Those who violate the governor's order will be met with the full force of the law."

Texas politicians and abortion-rights organizations struck back at Paxton’s statement.

“To be clear, Attorney General Paxton is using the current public health emergency to impose abortion restrictions that Republicans have been unable to achieve through the Texas Legislature or the courts. AG Paxton’s guidance is unacceptable and it must not stand,” Texas State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez told the Austin Chronicle.

Kathy Miller, the president of the Texas Freedom Network, an abortion-rights group, has claimed that Paxton is denying women their constitutional rights and "push(ing) his ideological agenda."

Ohio Deputy Attorney General Jonathan Fulkerson has sent multiple letters to abortion providers in the state, telling them to cease abortion procedures.

"On behalf of the Department, you and your facility are ordered to immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions," the letters reportedly say. "Non-essential surgical abortions are those that can be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of a patient."

NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio executive director Kellie Copeland has accused Ohio state government officials of “exploiting the COVID-19 crisis to further their agenda to close Ohio’s abortion clinics.”

In addition to Ohio and Texas, other states that have issued shutdown orders include New York, California and Illinois. As of Wednesday at 11:26 a.m. ET, there are at least 55,243 cases of coronavirus in the United States, with 802 deaths.