Coronavirus: Texas Illness Count Exceeds 57K, 26 More Deaths

AUSTIN, TX — An additional 1,371 cases of the new coronavirus have been diagnosed across Texas in a 24-hour period, bringing the total to 57,921. Moreover the fatality count on Wednesday rose to 1,562 — an increase of 26 deaths since the day before.

The figures are updated daily on a statistical dashboard created by the Texas Department of State Health Services. According to the data, 961,861 tests for the respiratory illness virus have been taken — 18,622 more than the number recorded on Tuesday — in a state of some 29 million people.

The state recently separated the number of tests for antibodies after having co-mingled the distinct tests, with the dashboard showing that 87,565 such tests have been administered to date — 2,724 more than the 84,841 counted as of the day before.

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The new cases of coronavirus recorded in the past 24-hour period are more than double than the increase reported on Tuesday, when health officials reported 579 new diagnoses.

Dashboard data show the Texas counties with the highest rates of illness:

• Harris County: 11,281 cases.
• Dallas County: 9,188 cases.
• Tarrant County: 5,039 cases.
• Travis County: 2,984 cases.
• Bexar County: 2,480 cases.
• El Paso County: 2,461 cases.
• Potter County 2,251 cases.
• Fort Bend County: 1,732 cases.

Related stories:

• U.S. Coronavirus Live Blog: 100,000 Dead
• Texas To Reopen Water Parks, Food Courts, More

Increased illness rates come at a time when businesses in Texas are reopening at a brisk pace as directed by Gov. Greg Abbott. Previously, a number of businesses — bars, restaurants, malls, bowling alleys, barbershops and hair salons among them — were allowed to open at partial capacity. On Tuesday, the governor added water parks to the list of businesses given the okay to start reopening, along with food courts located within shopping malls.