The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Texas saw a dramatic jump, rising from just shy of 1,000 on Wednesday to 1,396 cases on Thursday.
The death toll stands at 18, six additional fatalities than reported on Wednesday.
More than 13,000 Texans have been tested so far, the vast majority in private labs, according to the state’s health agency. Dallas and Harris County continue to lead the state in the number of confirmed cases with 303 and 185 cases respectively.
Texas is still very much in the early stages of the pandemic and its confirmed cases lag far behind that of New York, the epicenter of the nation’s COVID-19 outbreak where at least 385 people have died so far.
The spike in confirmed cases in Texas comes less than a day after the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a $2 trillion emergency relief bill for hospitals, companies, and a $1,200 check for people making up to $75,000 a year. It also comes a day after the White House granted a major disaster declaration to Texas, which Gov. Greg Abbott said will open up new resources for the state to address the pandemic.
Photo: Dan Tian/Xinhua via Getty Images
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignal.com
