Texas Sets Record Level Of Coronavirus Hospitalizations

AUSTIN, TX — Texas gained another 9,305 new cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, and 131 additional deaths were reported. Also, the state hit another record: 10,848 hospitalizations with a positivity rate of 15.05 percent.

The number of hospitalizations on Tuesday is 279 more than a mere week ago, according to data found on a Texas Department of State Health Services that is updated daily.

As of Tuesday, 4,151 people have died of the respiratory illness for which no vaccine exists. The number of fatalities is 131 more than the day before and 829 more than a mere week ago.

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Surges in the contagion have occurred ever since Gov. Greg Abbott launched a reopening of the state economy starting May 1 — the second governor to attempt an economic restart a week after his counterpart in Georgia did the same. On Monday, the state reached a grim milestone since the onset of illness in surpassing 4,000 deaths. Before that, on July 11, came another dubious milestone as the state crossed the 250,000 mark in total coronavirus cases. Just six days later, the 300,000 mark was reached.

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The historical illness count as of Tuesday stood at 341,739 cases. For perspective, consider that Texas reached the 40,000 mark a little over two months ago on May 13. Another grim milestone was reached on Monday, when Texas crossed the 4,000 mark in deaths since the onset of illness.

Abbott has publicly expressed regret for having included bars on his list of businesses allowed reopening even at limited occupancy levels, later ordering for them to shut down again late last month. On June 25, he paused his economic reopening — which he often said was being guided by "doctors and data" — to help curb the spread of further illness, which at that point amounted only to putting the brakes on full occupancy for businesses already open at his directive.

Texas Department of State Health Services screenshot shows the surging rates of illness and fatalities from coronavirus across Texas.

To help stem the tide further, Abbott for the second time recently banned all elective surgeries and medical procedures to accommodate coronavirus patients. In a departure from his earlier stance making mask wearing voluntary, Abbott on July 2 reversed course in mandating their use to help blunt the spread of illness. Still, he relaxed those same rules for those attending church services by citing their religious freedom to do so.

On Tuesday, the governor participated in virtual meetings with officials at some of the state's hard-hit areas along the Rio Grande Valley. The teleconferences with mayors, county judges, emergency managers, hospital executives, state legislators and other local officials from Cameron and Hidalgo Counties were organized to discuss the unified efforts to combat COVID-19 in those communities, according to a news release.

The governor issued his expansive news release detailing his talks one day after the emergency health director of Hidalgo County ordered residents to shelter-in-place starting on Wednesday while following a curfew between the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The order officially goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, and will be in effect until Aug. 5 at 11:59 p.m. Residents are allowed to exit their homes during the order, but only if they hold down essential jobs, experience medical emergencies, need to secure essential services or participate in outdoor activities.

Not mentioned in the governor's expansive news release on Tuesday detailing his talks with Hidalgo County officials is that he quickly intervened to remind officials there their shelter-in-place order is unenforceable. Abbott statewide orders were crafted in a way to make municipalities' own enforcement void after previously being allowed to be implemented.

“This order has no enforcement mechanism, which makes it simply a recommendation for those to stay home if they can, which Gov. Abbott supports," the governor's spokesperson John Wittman told the Texas Tribune in reference to the Hidalgo County measure. "However, this order does not force businesses to shut down in the Rio Grande Valley."

Via his subsequent teleconferences, Abbott said he and local leaders discussed the ongoing needs of the Valley and the ways the State of Texas can continue to assist these communities as they fight to protect public health and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Also discussed were the array of assets and resources that have been deployed to the region while ascertaining further needs, according to the advisory. Additionally, discussion included expansion of hospital capacity and staffing needs along with an agreement by Abbott to support Hidalgo County's efforts to contract with a hotel to provide more beds for recovering COVID-19 patients, he said.

"Our ongoing collaboration with local officials in the Rio Grande Valley is critical to effectively combating COVID-19 and keeping these communities safe," Abbott said in a prepared statement. "The State of Texas will continue to provide the support and resources that Valley leaders need to protect public health and mitigate the spread of this virus. By continuing to work together, we will overcome this challenge."

Attending the meetings in person were the governor's Chief of Staff Luis Saenz and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd. Following the virtual meeting with Cameron County and Hidalgo County leadership, Saenz continued to visit with local elected officials while Kidd visited with local emergency management and hospital personnel to discuss their ongoing needs, the governor reported.

Substantial resources have already been provided to the Rio Grande Valley with more on the way, the governor added:

• On Sunday, Abbott announced the U.S. Department of Defense has deployed five U.S. Navy teams to four locations in South and Southwest Texas to help combat the spread of coronavirus. One U.S. Navy Acute Care Team is providing support at the Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen and four U.S. Navy Rural Rapid Response Teams are supporting hospitals in Del Rio, Eagle Pass and Rio Grande City, according to a previous advisory detailing the matter. The Department of Defense also has deployed a U.S. Army Urban Augmentation Medical Task Force to provide medical and support professionals needed in Rio Grande Valley Hospitals, officials said.
• The Texas Department of State Health Services has fulfilled several State of Texas Assistance Requests for ventilators, hospital staffing, nursing home staffing, testing teams, epidemiology staff, lab staff, test collection kits and supplies, ambulance strike teams, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, morgue trailers, assorted medical supplies and various types of personal protective equipment (PPE). Additionally, numerous cases of Remdesivir have been sent to the Rio Grande Valley.
• The Texas Division of Emergency Management has distributed personal protective equipment (PPE) to Cameron and Hidalgo Counties as well, the governor noted. According to the governor's office, these distributions include more than 3 million surgical masks, more than 1.4 million pairs of medical gloves, 280,000-plus face shields, some 2.1 million N95 masks, and more.

Despite such measures, the numbers indicate a seemingly inexorable virus reach across the state. According to the dashboard, the counties with the highest levels of illness are:

• Harris: 57,095 cases.
• Dallas: 42,292 cases.
• Bexar: 26,861 cases.
• Tarrant: 22,002 cases.
• Travis: 17,791 cases.
• Hidalgo: 12, 787 cases.
• El Paso: 12,041 cases.
• Nueces: 8,816 cases.
• Galveston: 7,354 cases.
• Cameron: 6,213 cases.
• Fort Bend: 5,995 cases.
• Denton: 5,098 cases.
• Montgomery: 5,067 cases.
• Brazoria: 4,896 cases.
• Williamson: 4,888 cases.
• Lubbock: 4,556 cases.
• Jefferson: 4,493 cases.
• Webb: 4,131 cases.
• Hays: 3,979 cases.
• McLennan: 3,472 cases.
• Brazos: 3,407 cases.
• Potter: 3,212 cases.

Counties with the greatest number of deaths are:

• Harris: 544.
• Dallas: 526.
• Hidalgo: 318.
• Tarrant: 299.
• Bexar: 262.
• Travis: 209.
• El Paso: 187.
• Cameron: 111.
• Nueces: 103.
• Williamson: 74.
• Fort Bend: 72.
• Galveston: 66.
• Lubbock: 66.
• Webb: 66.
• Collin: 65.
• Montgomery: 49.
• Jefferson: 48.
• Denton: 45.
• Brazos: 42.
• Potter: 41.