Texas reaches record 10,028 new COVID-19 cases, an all-time high in hospitalizations
On Tuesday, Texas reached record numbers in three key COVID-19 statistics: new daily cases, new daily deaths and all-time high in hospitalizations.
Texas reported 10,028 COVID-19 cases, 60 deaths and 9,286 coronavirus hospitalizations, the highest reported number of hospitalizations related to the virus at one time, according to Texas Department of State Health Services data. On Memorial Day, the total number of patients hospitalized was 1,511. Experts attributed the rise in hospitalizations, in part, to recent holiday weekends, such as Memorial Day, and were wary of what would happen in the weeks after the Fourth of July weekend.
Almost 600 more individuals are being hospitalized for COVID-19 than on Monday and COVID patients occupy 17% of all available beds. The previous single-day high number of cases for the state was 8,258. The previous single-day high for deaths was 58, which was reported on May 14, according to the data.
More than 200,000 cases and 2,000 deaths have been reported in total, according to the state data. It’s estimated that over 100,000 people have recovered.
Gov. Greg Abbott told KENS-TV in San Antonio that Tuesday’s record-breaking figures, “should be an alarm bell for everybody watching this show right now who was been a disbeliever about whether or not COVID-19 really is a threat.”
On Tuesday, Tarrant County reported a record 757 new COVID-19 cases along with 10 more deaths. The county now has had a total of 15,585 cases and 248 deaths, according to the Tarrant County COVID-19 statistics website and makes up about 7% of the state’s cases.
COVID-19 patients occupy about 10% of all available hospital beds in Tarrant County, a sharp increase from 3% on June 1.
The seven-day testing positivity rate for the state is now at 13.51%. To combat the rising spread of coronavirus in the state, Abbott ordered last week that most Texans must wear face coverings in public spaces and halted the state’s reopening — closing bars again and limiting restaurant occupancy to 50% from 75%.
“We need everybody to join in on this effort to make sure they are wearing a mask, because the last thing we want to do is to shut Texas back down,” Abbott told KRPC-TV in Houston.
After previously indicating districts would not be required to mandate face masks, the Texas Education Agency reversed course and issued guidance Tuesday that said school districts will be required comply with Abbott’s order and mandate masks for teachers and students 10 years and older.
“Hopefully, with the effectiveness of the mask order as well as the other orders, we will have corralled the coronavirus and the face mask order will no longer need to be in place” by the time schools resume, Abbott told KTBC-TV in Austin on Tuesday night.
Staff writer Tessa Weinberg contributed to this report.
COVID-19 Hospitalizations over Time
Coronavirus daily hospitalization counts in Texas and the larger Trauma Service Areas, beginning April 8, 2020. Data provided by Texas Health and Human Services.
This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 5:03 PM.
