Two weeks after Gov. Abbott’s ‘reopening,’ Texas reports single-day high COVID deaths
A single-day high of 58 Texans’ deaths from the coronavirus were confirmed on Thursday, two weeks after Gov. Greg Abbott’s reopening.
The state has reported 116 deaths over the past three days, the most in a three-day stretch during the pandemic.
Of Thursday’s 58 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, three were in Tarrant County and six were in Dallas County.
The state has confirmed a total of 43,851 COVID-19 cases, including 24,487 recoveries and 1,216 deaths. There are more than 18,000 active cases in the state.
In television interviews across the state Thursday night, Abbott focused on the recent increases in daily tests. Abbott has previously set a goal of at least 25,000 tests per day — a threshold the state hit in recent days.
The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 35,853 new tests Thursday, and 49,259 tests Wednesday. Previously, the only day the state hit that goal was May 2, with 28,873 new tests.
“The last two days have set all-time records for the amount of people tested in Texas,” Abbott told KRIV/Fox 26 in Houston.
The new daily high of COVID-19 related deaths came days ahead of an expected announcement of more business reopenings on Monday.
Abbott told KRIV that both increased capacity and allowing additional businesses to reopen their doors are being considered. Bars are among the businesses that have not yet been permitted to reopen, and groups have sent recommendations to Abbott on how to safely do so.
“We’ve got some fantastic strategies provided by bars that would lead to ways of separating people that would be able to create distancing strategies that we are running by our medical team, and hopefully we will be able to make an announcement on Monday about this,” Abbott said.
Abbott insisted in an interview with KBTX in College Station that hospitals still have sufficient capacity to handle a possible surge in cases, and reiterated his focus on downward trends in rates of positive cases and hospitalizations.
“What we look at is the real data about what’s taking place, and here’s the fact: The fact is that the growth rate of COVID-19 in the state of Texas is leveling off,” he said. “The fact is that hospitalizations, for example, they’re 28 fewer today than they were yesterday and yesterday they were lower than the day before.
“The fact of the matter is, hospitalizations in the state of Texas has stayed relatively flat during this entire time.”
This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 5:55 PM.
