Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday the Texas Division of Emergency Management, in partnership with local officials, will launch a new COVID-19 therapeutic infusion center in Nacogdoches.

The Regional Infusion Center, which will be located at 320 Russell Blvd., will begin accepting patients Friday and has been provided with Regeneron’s monoclonal antibodies to treat outpatient cases of COVID-19 with referral from a doctor.

The site will operate seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the treatment will be administered to 15 patients at a time at no cost to the patient.

“The State of Texas is continuing to expand access to COVID-19 antibody therapeutics in communities across the Lone Star State,” Abbott said. “This new facility in Nacogdoches will ensure East Texans who contract COVID-19 have access to this free and effective treatment.”

A spokesperson for Abbott’s office added COVID-19 antibody infusion treatment can prevent a patient’s condition from worsening and requiring hospital care.

Those infusion centers also help increase bed capacity in hospitals so that resources are available for the illest patients. According to Abbott’s office, the state deployed similar measures beginning in November 2020 to communities across Texas.

Nacogdoches County, the city of Nacogdoches and the Nacogdoches Medical Center were included in the partnership.

Nacogdoches County Judge Greg Sowell said the process of obtaining the state-operated infusion center was a smooth collaboration.

“This center should ease the strain on our hospitals and help those with the virus to recover,” he said.

At Abbott’s direction, TDEM contracted with a private vendor and will provide the necessary equipment and staffing resources to ensure the center is fully operational.

Nacogdoches County Commissioners Court recently approved a lease agreement for the facility, while the city of Nacogdoches will cover the expense of utilities.

“The city of Nacogdoches is glad to work hand in hand with our local partners to ensure those that have been impacted by COVID-19 can successfully recover from the devastating virus,” said Nacogdoches City Manager Mario Canizares.

The Regional Infusion Center staff will begin to contact referred patients for appointments.

“The infusion center collaborative will keep members of the community out of the hospital, enabling us to care for those with both COVID and non-COVID emergencies,” said Nacogdoches Medical Center’s CEO Jeff Patterson.

Abbott’s office also shared a list of antibody infusion centers currently operating in their communities and said more will be coming online in the coming days.

The treatment is free and available to all Texans who test positive for COVID-19 and have a doctor’s referral. Texans can visit meds.tdem.texas.gov to find a therapeutic provider near them.