A record 8,181 Texans with the coronavirus were hospitalized Sunday, a new daily high as overall cases slipped during the coronavirus pandemic.
Texas reported 3,449 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 Sunday, after a record high of 8,258 Saturday.
State health officials also reported 29 additional deaths, bringing the totals to 2,637 deaths and 195,239 confirmed cases.
The true number of cases is likely much higher because many people have not been tested and studies suggest that people can be infected and not feel sick.
Much of Texas started mandating face coverings Friday on the orders of Gov. Greg Abbott. The mask order carries a $250 fine. The order was the most dramatic about-face that Abbott has made, after what stood out as one of America’s swiftest reopenings.
Texas hospital sees younger ages of coronavirus patients in hospital beds
As Texas reports record high numbers of coronavirus cases for the state, 360aproko News checks in with Houston Methodist Hospital to learn how it’s coping with the state’s second surge and what it’s finding about the patients who are being treating with coronavirus.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a Democrat, told CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday that he wanted Abbott to return control to local governments. He said hospitals have been facing a crisis and ICUs could be overrun in as few as 10 days.
In the Houston area, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, also a Democrat, said a stay-at-home order was needed.
Houston has rapidly become one of the American cities hit hardest by the virus. In addition to strained hospital capacity, it needed help meeting the demand for testing, Mayor Sylvester Turner told 360aproko News’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
Over the last month, the proportion of tests coming back positive for the virus has rocketed from about one in 10 to nearly one in four, Turner, a Democrat, said.
