SAN ANTONIO – Texas and Florida – whose leaders were praised by President Donald Trump for being among the first to end coronavirus restrictions – …
SAN ANTONIO – Texas and Florida – whose leaders were praised by President Donald Trump for being among the first to end coronavirus restrictions – abruptly reversed course Friday as virus infections soared to record levels, slamming the door shut on bars and imposing other measures in a bid to contain the pandemic.
Both states are backtracking amid a crisis of rising hospitalizations and skyrocketing infection rates. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, ordered bars to close and restaurants to reduce occupancy, and he gave local governments authority to ban outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people. The changes came as statistics show 1 in 10 Texans tested is positive for the novel coronavirus and the state’s largest hospital is at capacity in its intensive care unit.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, ordered bars to close immediately Friday because of “widespread noncompliance” with rules regarding capacity and social distancing. The surprise announcement came as state health officials reported a record 8,942 infections Friday. Average cases are up nearly 77 percent from a week ago.
In Texas, the current surge of cases reflects the activity of recent weeks, including Memorial Day gatherings and summer activities that were permitted under Abbott’s reopening plan, which began May 1.
“Wishful thinking got us here,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.
The county, which includes Houston, leads the state in infections and is reaching maximum hospital capacity. Texas Medical Center, the state’s largest hospital, had 100 percent of its ICU beds occupied Friday. The county elevated its color-coded threat meter to its highest level on Friday.
“Consider us the canary in the coal mine. You can look at what is happening here and know there are no shortcuts for getting around the crisis,” Hidalgo said.
Nationwide, about 45,000 coronavirus cases were reported Friday – the third day in a row the country has had a record high number of cases, according to Washington Post data. Record seven-day case averages were reported by 13 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.
New York officials have begun to contact Arizona, Florida, Texas and other states where coronavirus cases are swelling, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, told reporters Friday. Jonah Bruno, a spokesman for the state health department, said his state would be able to provide “equipment, ventilators, staff, our experience and knowledge, whatever they need.”
New York’s largest hospital system, Northwell Health, which by early May had discharged more than 10,000 coronavirus patients, will begin polling its employees next week to see whether they can be deployed in other states. It would be the return of a favor, of sorts: Clinicians from as far away as Salt Lake City traveled to New York to help this spring, said hospital spokesman Terry Lynam.
Other municipalities halted reopenings Friday. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ordered Imperial County, where cases are skyrocketing, to shut down. San Francisco Mayor London Breed is temporarily delaying the reopening of businesses because of a rise in cases, as is Marin County to its north. Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez plans to sign an emergency order closing all beaches from July 3 to July 7.
In Washington, Vice President Mike Pence attempted to put a positive spin on the situation, claiming “remarkable progress” despite a surge in cases.
“As we stand here today, all 50 states and territories across the country are opening up, and safely and responsibly,” Pence said.
