7/1/2020
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`Texas breaks previous daily record with nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX
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`By Nicole Cobler
`Posted Jun 30, 2020 at 10:36 AM
`Updated Jun 30, 2020 at 6:59 PM
`State health officials reported nearly 7,000 new cases of COVID-19 and more than 6,000 hospitalizations Tuesday,
`unprecedented figures that came as Gov. Greg Abbott suspended elective surgeries at hospitals in four South Texas
`counties.
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`The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 6,975 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, up from Thursday’s
`record of 5,996 cases. Texas hospitals had 6,533 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients, up from Monday’s record of
`5,913.
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`State health officials also reported 21 new coronavirus-related fatalities Tuesday, bringing the death toll of the virus
`in the state to 2,424.
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`State and local officials are racing to rein in those numbers. Abbott shifted his tone last week after weeks of gradually
`reopening sectors of the economy. He warned of a “massive outbreak” last week, days before closing Texas bars and
`reducing restaurant dining room capacity.
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`In a series of local TV interviews Tuesday evening, Abbott said he couldn’t predict when the state could reverse its
`latest restrictions.
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`“We hope to open them up as soon as possible,” Abbott said. “Right now, it’s hard to predict,” he said, because new
`cases and hospitalizations are increasing at a rapid pace each day.
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`The statewide record numbers were announced hours after Abbott halted elective surgeries in Cameron, Hidalgo,
`Nueces and Webb counties — home counties to Brownsville, McAllen, Corpus Christi and Laredo — as coronavirus
`hospitalizations and cases in those areas rise.
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`Abbott made a similar move less than a week ago, when he paused elective surgeries in the state’s most populated
`counties — Travis, Bexar, Dallas and Harris — to free up beds for coronavirus patients.
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`“As these counties experience a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we are committed to working
`alongside hospitals to help ensure that every COVID-19 patient who needs a bed will have access to one,” Abbott said
`in a statement. “We are constantly monitoring the data at the local level and will continue to take precautionary
`action where it is necessary.”
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`Nueces County cases have more than tripled since last Monday, surging from 633 to 1,915. Hidalgo County cases
`nearly doubled over the same time period, while Cameron County cases increased by 41% and Webb County cases by
`56%.
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`In those same areas, state health officials reported dwindling ICU beds as cases rise. The trauma service region that
`includes Nueces and 11 other counties has just nine available ICU beds, according to data from the Texas Department
`of State Health Services. Nearly 110 lab-confirmed COVID-19 patients are hospitalized in the area.
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`Statewide hospitalizations have climbed since Memorial Day after two months of relatively low and steady numbers
`through April and May.
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`Sunday marked the end of a 16-day streak for record numbers of patients in Texas hospitals. The state surpassed
`5,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients for the first time Friday, four days before surpassing 6,000 for the first time
`Tuesday.
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`https://www.statesman.com/news/20200630/texas-breaks-previous-daily-record-with-nearly-7000-new-coronavirus-cases
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`IPR2020-00465
`APPLE v. OPTIS
`APPLE 1072
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`Te x a s b r e a k s p r e v io u s d a i l y r e c o r d wi t h n e a r l y 7 , 000 n ew c o r o n a v i r u s
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`7/1/2020
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`Texas breaks previous daily record with nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX
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`Just 1,511 hospitalizations were reported on Memorial Day.
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`The number of people confirmed to have the disease also skyrocketed in June, with new COVID-19 cases more than
`doubling since May.
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`The increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases this month led the Texas Medical Association on Tuesday to
`call on the Republican Party of Texas to cancel its in-person state convention scheduled for July in Houston.
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`“This is just not the time to bring thousands of the party faithful from around the state to an indoor meeting in a
`county that, as I wrote, reports more than 18,000 active COVID-19 cases,” Dr. Diana Fite, president of the
`association, wrote in a letter to state GOP leadership. “While much of our state has so far been spared the brunt of
`the coronavirus attack, our metropolitan areas in general — and Houston in particular — are now among the national
`epicenters of current COVID-19 outbreaks.”
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`Texas Republican Party Chairman James Dickey has maintained that the event can be held in-person with proper
`social distancing guidelines and respect for face masks, although they won’t be mandated. The Texas Democratic
`Party held a virtual convention earlier this month.
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`On Tuesday, Dickey said he would take all recommendations “very seriously.”
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`https://www.statesman.com/news/20200630/texas-breaks-previous-daily-record-with-nearly-7000-new-coronavirus-cases
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