Coronavirus: Texas Illness Count Cross 81K Mark, 35 New Deaths

AUSTIN, TX — Another 1,826 cases of the coronavirus were recorded over the past 24 hours — bringing the historic total to 81,583 — and the fatality count grew by 35 to 1,920, health officials reported on Thursday.

Texas Department of State Health Services officials noted 52,449 patients have recovered from the contagious respiratory illness since contracting the virus. According to the agency's statistical dashboard, there are currently 25,423 active cases of the illness across the state.

After considerable backlash over their calculation methods, health officials recently stopped co-mingling viral tests with those screening for antibodies that had the effect of artificially inflating testing numbers. Following that recent change, the dashboard on Thursday shows 1,161,087 viral tests have been taken statewide along with 140,962 tests for antibodies.

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While testing has increased with more testing sites have been installed across the state, the number of tests is perceived as low by some observers given the population of Texas of roughly 29 million.

Thursday's spike in new cases follows the 2,504 additional diagnoses that emerged the previous day, when another 32 people died of the illness. The increase on Wednesday was the highest reported in a single day since the onset of illness.

The increases have cast Texas under an unwelcome spotlight as cautionary tale against reopening the economy too soon. Gov. Greg Abbott launched an economic reopening on May 1 — the first state to reignite the corona-stalled economy — allowing operators of restaurants, malls and movie theaters to open at limited occupancy. Since then, subsequent reopening phases have enabled the opening of myriad other businesses — from bars and bowling alleys to nail salons and tanning booths.

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Ensuing spikes have yielded fodder for stories by national media outlets — CNN, MSNBC, Newsweek and others — focusing on the state's early reopening even as other states hold back until illness rates flatten. In his regular briefings on illness trends, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has taken to showing graphs related to coronavirus levels in Texas to illustrate the pitfalls of opening too soon.

Taking note of the Texas heightened illness trends, Newsweek recently reported the state recorded 71,330 cases of the coronavirus between March 1-June 4. Texas recorded spikes in new coronavirus cases in counties north of Houston, such as Grimes County that saw an increase from 14.5 reported cases two weeks ago, to a high of 58.4, while Walker County cases jumped from 41.7 to 186.1 cases, Newsweek reported.

A nonpartisan group of public health experts calling themselves COVID Exit Strategy warns Texas is one of eight states bracing for a rebound in infections. As precursor, analysts noted in their report the state has posted a 53 percent hike in cases over the past 14 days while hitting barely half of its recommended minimum testing goal of 500,000 residents per day.

Of particular concern are record-setting rates of hospitalizations. Texas health officials reported a third straight day with a record number of patients hospitalized with the coronavirus on Wednesday, with 2,153 hospitalizations recorded — a 42 percent spike since Memorial Day.

Harvard University epidemiologist William Hanage cautioned against the lifting of restrictions amid the ongoing threat of illness. “The thing about all of these places is not that these increases are definitely tied to reopening or partying over Memorial Day weekend, though they might be, but that in the face of increasing numbers of case counts, the continued relaxation will only provide more opportunity for community transmission,” he told the news platform Vox. “The virus is getting highways along which to transmit.”

According to Texas Department of State Health Services, the highest to-date illness counts per county are:

• Harris County: 15,552 cases (8,826 active cases).
• Dallas County: 12,945 cases (4,054 active).
• Tarrant County: 6,599 cases (3,327 active).
• Travis County: 4,109 cases (535 active).
• El Paso County: 3,650 cases (989 active).
• Bexar County: 3,648 cases (1,133 active).
• Potter County: 2,778 cases (1,739 active).
• Fort Bend County: 2,299 cases (1,244 active).
• Walker County: 1,866 cases (1,417 active).
• Denton County: 1,599 cases (711 active).
• Collin County: 1,553 cases (432 active).
• Jefferson County: 1,187 cases (171 active).

Asked about the upward trends, Abbott on Wednesday told Lubbock, Texas, new station KCBD he was "concerned but not alarmed" at the Texas illness spikes. Despite his relaxed rules on mask wearing, he urged residents to wear the coverings while practicing good hygiene and adhere to physical distancing. "People need to realize COVID-19 hasn't suddenly left Texas," he told the news station. "It still exists."

In addition to recently making the use of protective masks voluntary — despite continued guidance from health officials to wear such face coverings — Abbott also previously issued executive orders deeming worship services and construction activity as "essential services," making both areas virtually immune from the tactics of physical distancing. The moves worried local officials, who Abbott warned not to intercede given his superseding order.