At one point, 130 people were waiting to be seen in the emergency room at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital on Sunday night, the hospital said. A Harris Health doctor emailed lawmakers about the situation.

Harris Health System broke ground Thursday on a new $1.6 billion Level 1 trauma-capable hospital at the Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital campus after voters approved the bond last fall.

Expected to open its doors in late 2028, the new 12-storey hospital will replace the aging Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) Hospital. It is a key component of Harris Health's $2.9bn investment plan.