Coronavirus: Texas Illness Count Tops 62K, 22 More Deaths

Tony Cantu
Updated ·2 min read

AUSTIN, TX — The number of cases of the coronavirus across Texas rose by 1,332 on Saturday, bringing the total count to 62,338. In the same 24-hour period, the fatality count grew to 1,648 — 22 more than the day before.

The increasing rate of illness comes two days after Texas recorded the biggest single-day spike in cases when 1,855 more people were positively diagnosed with the respiratory illness. Statistics on coronavirus trends are compiled on a dashboard maintained by Texas Department of State Health Services officials that is updated daily.

According to the dashboard, 41,651 patients have recovered after contracting the virus that causes the respiratory illness. State health officials recently began separating viral tests from antibody ones after backlash, and the dashboard indicates 928,517 of the former have been undertaken since the onset of illness compared to 98,932 antibody tests. The population of Texas is roughly 29 million.

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Currently, there are 19,039 cases of coronavirus throughout the state as indicated on the dashboard.

According to state health officials, the highest levels of illness have been recorded in the following counties:

  • Harris County: 12,009 cases.

  • Dallas County: 9,787 cases.

  • Tarrant County: 5,379 cases.

  • Travis County: 3,186 cases.

  • El Pas0 County: 2,704 cases.

  • Bexar County: 2,636 cases.

The illness count continually grows as Gov. Greg Abbot expands a reopening of the state economy. By gubernatorial proclamation, Abbott launched a multi-phased state economy reopening late last month when he allowed restaurants, malls and movie theaters to open their doors to the public again, albeit at limited occupancy levels starting May 1.

View Texans Helping Texans: The Governor's Report to Open Texas.

Restaurant operators initially were allowed to reopen at 25 percent occupancy, a level later upped to 50 percent. In the next round of reopening, barbershops, nail salons, tanning booths, bowling alleys, bingo halls and other business were allowed to reopen.

This past Friday, water parks and food courts inside shopping malls were allowed to open, albeit at limited occupancy and in adherence to physical distancing safeguards.

This article originally appeared on the Austin Patch