Increase of Covid-19 cases in the Lone Star State causes a Texas hold’em.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that he was halting his state’s multi-phase economic reopening in response to a jump in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.
“COVID-19 is now spreading at an unacceptable rate in the state of Texas, and it must be corralled,” said Gov. Abbott.
In phase 3, Texas was preparing to open businesses, but as the number of new daily cases around the country climbed to a near-record high, Texas has seen one of the biggest surges in new coronavirus cases in the US. On Monday, state officials reported a record of over 6,000 new cases in a single day. As well, the state has set record hospitalizations for 13 days in a row.
“We need all Texans to follow the safety protocols developed by our team of medical experts, including staying home if you are sick or at risk, sanitizing your hands, social distancing, and wearing face coverings or masks,” emphasized Gov. Abbott.
Spikes in new cases come after weeks of anti-Black police killings and calls for police reform in the state. Houston, the state’s most populated city, is on track to have the largest number of any city in the US, reported the Houston Defender. Located in Harris County, the region is observing a mandatory mask and has issued a $1,200 relief fund for residents.
Texas’ rising numbers are part of a nationwide surge concentrated on states that were either spared the brunt of the initial outbreak, or moved early to lift restrictions aimed at curbing the virus’ spread. Other states with high numbers include: Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wyoming. According to health officials, more than 36,000 new U.S. cases were recorded on Wednesday, a few hundred shy of the record 36,426 on April 24.
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