Medical specialists in almost all of Texas’ city areas have reported spikes in new coronavirus instances, main many to consider {that a} second wave is already underway.
Dr. Peter Hotez, professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and director of vaccine improvement at Texas Children’s Hospital, mentioned Thursday in a CBS Austin report that the latest will increase in COVID-19 instances in cities like Houston and Dallas look “absolutely apocalyptic.”
During a each day briefing in San Antonio on Thursday, Bexar County Metro Health Director Dr. Dawn Emerick mentioned folks had grow to be too complacent and weren’t carrying face coverings in public.
“We are entering a second wave,” she mentioned.
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San Antonio and Bexar County, which has seen 3,648 instances of the virus, at the moment has 1,260 lively instances and has recorded 507 new instances over a three-day interval, based on a CBS San Antonio report.
Emerick mentioned the latest protests haven’t got something to do with the latest resurgence of the virus, citing that it greater than probably may be traced again to Memorial Day weekend, which noticed hundreds of individuals flocking to close by lakes and seashores for the official kickoff for summer season.
In Houston, which is situated in Harris County, native leaders mentioned they’re contemplating reimposing keep at dwelling orders after latest spikes in COVID-19 instances.
“We may be approaching the precipice of a disaster,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the highest-ranking county govt, mentioned in a Bloomberg report. “It’s out of hand right now. The good news is it’s not severe out of hand.”
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, greater than 81,000 Texans have examined optimistic for the brand new coronavirus based on the Texas Department of Health Services So far, greater than 54,000 folks have recovered and 1,920 have died from the virus.
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Harris County and Houston have essentially the most reported instances of the brand new coronavirus in Texas with 15,552, with 8,952 nonetheless lively. Dallas County has the second-highest variety of reported instances in Texas, with 12,945, with 4,147 of these instances nonetheless lively.
The spike comes within the midst of Texas reopening its financial system, which started with curbside supply providers at retailers and grocery shops in April.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who introduced his Strike Force to Open Texas two months in the past, allowed the stay-at-home order that had been in place because the finish of March to run out on April 30, paving the way in which for companies to slowly reopen.
The state has carried out phased reopenings of eating places, buying malls, retailers, hair and wonder salons, state parks, and different outside actions which have continued by May and into June.
Last week, Abbott introduced the part three reopening that enables all companies in Texas will have the ability to function at as much as 50 p.c capability, with very restricted exceptions.
On Monday, the Texas Department of Emergency Management introduced they have been increasing COVID-19 testing to underserved and minority communities in principally city areas of Texas.
“We must address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underserved and minority communities and ensure that anyone who needs a test can have one. As many Texans continue to gather for protests, the state is also taking steps to address potential surges in COVID-19 cases,” Abbott mentioned in a press launch. “We are ensuring that Texans can continue to safely exercise their First Amendment Rights while putting protocols in place to identify and mitigate any spread of COVID-19.”
Abbott’s workplace didn’t return requests from Newsweek for remark earlier than publication.