Texas reported its highest single-day increase in confirmed novel coronavirus cases and Houston-area hospitalizations continued to climb Saturday, though deaths attributed to the virus remained steady as the state grapples with a rapid outbreak.
Texas added another 6,263 confirmed cases Saturday, an increase of 4.4 percent that brought the statewide total to 147,374, according to data collected by the Houston Chronicle. Confirmed cases have spiked in the past two weeks, far topping the 1,000 to 2,000 cases typically reported each day before mid-June.
The eight-county Greater Houston area tallied 1,290 more cases Saturday, an increase of 3.3 percent, bringing the region’s total to 40,361. Harris County accounted for 908 of the newly confirmed cases.
About 700 patients with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, occupied intensive care unit hospital beds Saturday in the 25-county region surrounding Houston, according to the SouthEast Texas Regional Advisory Council. The number of regional ICU patients has increased for eight consecutive days, rising by nearly 50 percent.
The 25-county region reported 2,042 beds occupied by all ICU patients, the highest total since the pandemic arrived in Houston in March. The number of occupied ICU beds typically has hovered between about 1,700 and 1,950 during that time.
The region’s base capacity of ICU beds is 2,202, with a surge capacity of 2,644.
Texas reported another 40 deaths Saturday, for a total of 2,388 deaths statewide, according to data compiled by the Chronicle. The daily tally represents a slight increase from averages before the spike in cases, but still well below rates seen during an earlier outbreak in the northeastern United States.
Health experts have warned that increases in deaths typically lag several days behind spikes in hospitalizations. At the same time, more younger people — who are at far lower risk of death — are testing positive for the virus and entering hospitals.
Ten of the 40 deaths reported Saturday occurred in Harris County, which now totals 524 deaths attributed to COVID-19.
The rapid increase in confirmed cases and hospitalizations prompted Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday to order the shutdown of all bars in the state and reduce maximum occupancy rates in restaurants to 50 percent, among other changes. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo moved the county to its highest threat level and called for returning to stay-at-home conditions Friday.
jacob.carpenter@chron.com
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June 28, 2020 at 09:08AM
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Texas reports highest single-day coronavirus case count increase - Houston Chronicle
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