Day after day, the coronavirus case numbers roll in, and they are staggering. More illness, more deaths, more hospitalizations.

It’s been just a week since Gov. Greg Abbott, apparently alarmed by the increasing share of hospital resources taken up by COVID-19, ordered the wearing of face masks, a step he’d been reluctant to take. The next threshold appears to be: Are we headed to another shutdown?

We hope not. Texans would suffer greatly if the economy craters further, and we have real doubts about how much of the population would comply with another stay-at-home order.

Many local officials are asking for the power to judge the well-being of their cities and counties and, in consultation with public health experts, decide what should be open. They make a decent argument.

We’d like to see greater regional cooperation and decision-making. Tarrant, Dallas and Collin counties have vastly different approaches to the virus (not to mention smaller counties such as Parker and Hood). It’d be much better if local leaders come together to evaluate the situation and act as if the highways that connect us carry health concerns. Because they do.

As the case numbers climb, it’s important to remember what we’re trying to accomplish. Think back to March — yes, it seems like a year, but it’s just a few months. When Texas and the rest of the nation went into shutdown, the goal was to protect the healthcare system from being overwhelmed, to “flatten the curve.”

The idea was never to prevent infections forever. That probably can’t be done until a vaccine is available.

When reopening began, the goal was to find the balance point between preventing economic calamity for millions and seeing serious cases overwhelm the hospitals. Until recently, that’s been the case.

Changing the goal to preventing nearly all infections isn’t realistic, and it isn’t healthy, either. There are simply too many ill effects of trying to grind American life to a halt. Here’s one example: The Washington Post, analyzing federal data, estimates that thousands of Americans have died of heart disease during the pandemic because they feared seeking medical care.

The increasingly loud debate over whether and how to reopen schools next month is falling along similar lines. The state education agency issued nine pages of guidance to districts, covering masks, online learning, how to handle a coronavirus case and more.

The tradeoffs around closing schools entirely are vast and difficult to balance. There are real social and educational costs for children who miss so much school. The American Academy of Pediatrics, which represents tens of thousands of professionals, recognizes the potential harm and is urging schools to do everything they can to open for the fall.

Think about students with special needs for whom virtual learning isn’t effective. And think of the families, many of them with single parents, who must work and would have to find a child-care solution.

That said, no one can plan for every contingency, and it may turn out that August is too soon to risk throwing together millions of students, teachers and staff. And once the school year begins, as the state document notes, schools will almost certainly have to temporarily close because of local outbreaks.

Overall, hospital capacity remains the most important measure of where we are. In recent days, Tarrant County’s capacity has held relatively steady, at around 70 percent of beds occupied. But if dramatic spikes in cases continue, the county could be in trouble in a hurry. By one local epidemiologist’s estimate, we have just a few weeks until hospitals are at capacity.

Tarrant County hospital capacity

Hospital capacity by available beds and ventilators for Tarrant County. Data provided by Tarrant County Public Health.

Steve Wilson swilson@star-telegram.com

So, painful though it may be, some aspects of reopening may need to be rolled back. Abbott took action when it became obvious bars were a dangerous environment where social distancing guidelines weren’t followed. Large crowds are already prohibited, but some settings, such as amusement parks, may need to be reconsidered.

It would be best if local officials can make these decisions, and in Dallas-Fort Worth, if they were made with the entire region in mind. Whoever holds that power, though, we can all do our part by wearing masks, staying home as much as possible and helping protect the vulnerable.

Another total shutdown doesn’t have to be inevitable. But it will be if we don’t all do what’s necessary to avoid it.