HOUSTON - US Navy teams began to be deployed in Texas to help combat the spread of COVID-19, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Sunday.

Abbott announced that the US Department of Defense has sent five US Navy teams to four locations in south and southwest Texas. Beginning Sunday, one US Navy Acute Care Team will provide support in southern Texas. Another four US Navy Rural Rapid Response Teams will support hospitals in south and southwest Texas, said the governor.

These teams consist of medical and support professionals which are being deployed to help meet medical needs in hospitals throughout the state, Abbott added.

"The support from our federal partners is crucial in our work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our communities throughout Texas," he said. "The State of Texas will continue to utilize every resource available to protect public health and keep Texans in every community safe."

At the governor's request and as part of a whole-of-nation approach, US Army Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces (UAMTF) arrived in Texas to support the Houston and San Antonio areas earlier this month.

Confirmed COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalization continue to soar in the southern state. According to Texas Health and Human Services, Texas added 10,158 new confirmed cases on Saturday, making the total number to 317,730, with 3,865 deaths.