Two weeks after its stay-at-home order expired, Texas reported its highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases over the weekend. But that’s…
Two weeks after its stay-at-home order expired, Texas reported its highest single-day increase in coronavirus cases over the weekend.
But that’s not stopping Gov. Greg Abbott from easing restrictions.
The Texas Department of State Health Services announced on Saturday that 1,801 new people had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. That surge was partially caused by an outbreak in the Panhandle, where more than 700 cases attributed to local meatpacking facilities were recorded in the city of Amarillo, the Houston Chronicle reported.
As of Monday, the statewide tally had risen to 48,640 patients and 1,344 deaths, based on data from Johns Hopkins University.
Texas is one of several states that are relaxing containment measures that states put in place in March. Shops, nail salons, movie theaters, barbershops, tanning salons, churches, and beaches are open to the public.
Restaurants have also been allowed to reopen and can, from Friday, go from 25% to 50% of their maximum capacity. People are encouraged to maintain social distance, wear face masks, and wash their hands frequently.
Abbott has defended the fast clip at which the state is resuming business, saying its death and hospitalization rates are lower than in other states of similar size, such as Florida and California, the Associated Press reported.
So far, Texas has conducted 723,013 coronavirus tests, which is about on par with Florida’s total testing but much lower than California’s 1.23 million tests, according to the COVID Tracking Project. That means only about 2.5% of Texas’ 29 million residents have been tested.
Abbott said in a statement that he anticipates the number of new infections in Texas to rise as the state doubles down on testing “most high-risk areas: nursing homes, meatpacking plants and jails.”
“That is exactly why I established Surge Response Teams,” he added. “By immediately deploying resources and supplies to these high risk areas, we will identify the positive cases, isolate the individuals and ensure any outbreak is quickly contained, which is the strategy being deployed in Amarillo.”
Private First Class Armon Ramirez from the Texas National Guard tests people for COVID-19 in El Paso on May 18,2020.
Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Image
Abbott’s goal is to open Texas fully.
Gyms, offices, and nonessential manufacturing facilities reopened on Monday, but social distancing is still required, and none of them can exceed 25% of their maximum capacity. At gyms, showers and locker areas will remain off-limits, equipment must be sanitized after each use, and gloves are mandatory.
The governor announced on Monday that childcare centers can resume operations effective immediately, alongside massage parlors, beauty salons, and other personal care services.
