Texas a COVID Hotspot as State Reopens

June 17, 2020 -- Officials in Cameron County, TX, had seen cases of the coronavirus in the double digits even before the state began easing restrictions in May for restaurants, hair salons, sports-related gatherings, and other businesses and activities. But the numbers they’ve seen recently are higher. That’s worried James Castillo, MD, the health authority of the border county. Castillo, an internist who specializes in palliative care, thinks the uptick in cases is coming from “people interacting more, getting together more, more businesses being open. The question is how do you have a balance [to keep the economy going], right? I think maybe we’re off balance.” At a news conference Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott said the overall increases in reported cases around the state are mostly linked to more testing and to people in jails, nursing homes, and prisons. He also said in some counties, the growth in cases since June 1 has come largely from people ages 30 and younger. "We are in the middle of a short period of time where all of us have to coexist with COVID-19," Abbott said. "The reality is COVID-19 still exists in Texas." Mark E. Escott, MD, the interim health authority for the city of Austin and Travis County, said that in Hispanic and African American communities in his area, increases in hospitalizations due to COVID-19 may be linked to people working in the service industry, which puts them at higher risk for catching the virus. The coronavirus may also spread more easily among those racial and ethnic groups because many people of color live with several family members, he said. They may also lack access to health care and are at a higher risk for having other conditions, Escott said. The state’s health agency reported another record-high number of reported cases of the virus Tuesday. According to data from the CDC, Texas is among states with more than 90,000 reported cases of the respiratory virus that has affected more than 2 million Americans and killed over 116,000. It ranks sixth among states with the highest number of reported cases, behind New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, and Massachusetts.

Data collected on the site covidexitstrategy.org, run by a group of public health researchers and crisis experts, shows the infection rate is going up in the Lone Star State. It’s considered one of the states “trending poorly,” and it’s low in available ICU beds, the site shows.