Texas coronavirus hospitalizations hit all-time high, 131 deaths reported on Tuesday
Texas hit a new high in coronavirus hospitalizations on Tuesday and reported 131 deaths, the second-most deaths in a day during the pandemic.
Health officials reported 10,848 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, up 190 from the previous high on Saturday.
The single-day high in coronavirus deaths was 174 on Friday, followed by 130 virus-related deaths reported Saturday. The totals dropped to 93 and 62 for Sunday and Monday, when totals have typically been lower because fewer labs report data over the weekend.
There were 1,756 patients hospitalized with the coronavirus on June 1. Three weeks later, hospitalizations had nearly doubled to 3,409. By July 1, there were 6,904 coronavirus hospitalizations. The number increased through the first 12 days of July then held relatively steady in the mid-10,000 range until Tuesday.
Despite the increased hospitalizations, Gov. Greg Abbott has been reticent to declare a second shutdown in Texas. The state began a phased reopening plan on May 1, which allowed businesses to reopen to the public at certain capacity levels and within pandemic safety guidelines.
In recent weeks, Abbott has reiterated that a second shutdown — even locally for the hardest-hit regions — was not on the horizon, if Texans abide by his mask mandate. Abbott pointed to a leveling off in the growth of new cases and hospitalizations in the last week as a sign things are improving, and cited a recent report by the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s School of Public Health that found mask mandates have contributed to a stabilization in North Texas’ cases.
“All we need to do to have the economy going and for people to engage in normal activities is if — for just the next few months — whenever they go into public wear face mask or if they don’t have to go on in public, just stay home,” Abbott told KWTX-TV in Waco.
Abbott has resisted local officials’ calls for the ability to reinstate local stay-at-home orders. Monday night, Hidalgo County issued an order that requires residents to stay home, abide by a curfew and more. However, in line with Abbott’s statewide order, the county’s notes that law enforcement may not detain, arrest or jail any person for violating it.
“There are parts of their orders which they have the complete latitude to enforce, such as the curfew. That is the authority that local county judges always have, including right now,” Abbott told KRGV-TV in McAllen when asked why he hasn’t authorized greater enforcement for local officials.
The state and federal government have recently sent additional aid to the Rio Grande Valley, where hospitals are becoming overwhelmed by the surge in coronavirus patients. Earlier this month, Abbott extended his ban on elective medical procedures to over 100 Texas counties in an effort to ensure hospitals have sufficient capacity to treat a surge in patients.
Estimated active cases over time
Coronavirus daily active case estimates by local counties in the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex, beginning April 8, 2020. Data provided by Texas Health and Human Services.
This story was originally published July 21, 2020 at 5:29 PM.
