Texas Coronavirus Count Exceeds 264K, 43 New Deaths

AUSTIN, TX — Texas gained another 5,655 additional cases of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, pushing the historical count to more than 264,000. In the same time period, another 43 people succumbed to the respiratory illness virus, raising the historical death count to 3,235.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the daily positivity rate on Monday was 16.85 percent. According to the agency's statistical dashboard, the number of cases since the onset of illness began sweeping across the state now stands at 264,313.

Since the onset of illness across the state, 136,419 Texas residents have recovered from the contagious repiratory illness for which there is no cure. However, there are currently 124,659 patients currently hospitalized.

The counties with the highest concentration of illness are:

• Harris: 45,368 cases.
• Dallas: 33,800 cases.
• Bexar: 19,648 cases.
• Tarrant: 18,161 cases.
• Travis: 14,788 cases.
• El Paso: 9,716 cases.
• Hidalgo: 8,040 cases.

From earlier:

AUSTIN, TX — More than 8,000 new cases of the coronavirus were reported on Sunday across the state — a record number for a day considered one of the slower days for new diagnoses — raising the historical illness count to 258,658 from the previous day. Moreover, 80 new deaths from the respiratory illness were reported over the past 24 hours.

The number of new cases on Sunday totaled 8,196. The four score of new deaths brings the historical fatality count to 3,192, as shown on a statistical dashboard maintained by Texas Department of State Health Services. While 132,638 patients have recovered from the respiratory illness, there are 122,828 active cases of illness across the state.

The uptick comes one day after state health officials reported 10,351 new coronavirus cases as the state surpassed the 250,000 mark in positive diagnoses thus far. Also on Saturday, 99 more deaths from the viral infection were reported.

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Illness rates have grown exponentially since Gov. Greg Abbott began an aggressive economic reopening on May 1. Since then — as he's witnessed cases rise exponentially — the governor has taken steps aimed at curbing spread of the scourge.

To that end, Abbott previously scaled back on his economic reopening by pausing the time when already opened businesses can operate at 100 percent occupancy. He's also ordered bars to close up again, barred all elective surgeries and medical procedures to accommodate a growing number of coronavirus patients and mandated the wearing of protective face coverings — a reversal in stance for a governor who previously extolled the virtues of "individual responsibility" in first making their wearing optional.

On Sunday, Abbott announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has extended federal support of Community-Based Testing Sites in Dallas and Houston — both in counties the hardest hit by the illness wave — through July 31 to screen for the coronavirus. He previously secured an extension of these sites in June.

Related stories:

• Texas Crosses 250K Mark In Coronavirus Cases, 99 New Deaths
• Texas Expands Coronavirus Testing Sites In Dallas, Houston
• Coronavirus-Fighting Federal Resources Headed For Houston

Anticipating more spikes in illness this week, Abbott on Friday deployed additional federal resources to help fight the coronavirus scourge in the Houston region. In an advisory issued Friday evening, the governor said availability of resources are the culmination of talks with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the White House. Among the latest tools to the state arsenal in the fight against coronavirus are an Urban Area Medical Task Force from the U.S. Department of Defense expected to arrive in the region on Monday and a Disaster Medical Assistance Team from U.S. Health and Human Services.

According to the state's dashboard, the counties reporting the greatest number of cases so far are:

• Harris: 43,939 cases.
• Dallas: 32,626 cases.
• Bexar: 19,137 cases.
• Tarrant: 17,757 cases.
• Travis: 14,622 cases.
• El Paso: 9,510 cases.
• Hidalgo: 7,727 cases.
• Nueces: 5,965 cases.
• Galveston: 5,873 cases.
• Fort Bend: 4,758 cases.
• Collin: 4,459 cases.
• Denton: 3,937 cases.
• Cameron: 3,854 cases.
• Williamson: 3,745 cases.