Story at a glance
- Abbott said the state had the lowest seven-day positivity rate since the pandemic began, the fewest new cases in more than 13 months and the fewest COVID-19 hospitalizations in 11 months.
- As of Monday, however, 23 new deaths had been reported with 318 newly confirmed cases, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
- The positive trend in Texas appears to align with the situation nationally as cases have dropped in all 50 states.
Texas is seeing some encouraging numbers when it comes to the coronavirus situation in the Lone Star state.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Sunday announced that the state reported zero COVID-19-related deaths for the first time since the pandemic began escalating in the U.S.
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“Today Texas reported: * 0 Covid related deaths—the only time that’s happened since data was tracked in March, 2020,” the Republican governor tweeted Sunday.
He said the state also had the lowest seven-day positivity rate since the pandemic began, the fewest new cases in more than 13 months and the lowest COVID-19 hospitalizations in 11 months. Only 624 new COVID-19 cases were reported statewide on Sunday.
“Thanks, Texans!” the governor tweeted.
As of Monday, however, 23 new deaths had been reported with 318 newly confirmed cases, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
The milestone Sunday came months after Abbott faced widespread criticism in March when he eliminated the state’s mask mandate and allowed businesses to reopen to full capacity. The move was criticized by President Biden, who called it “Neanderthal thinking.”
The positive trend in Texas appears to align with the situation nationally as more Americans become inoculated against COVID-19. President Biden on Monday said the number of new cases has gone down in all 50 states for the first time since the pandemic began as vaccines continue to go into the arms of Americans.
Biden said at least 60 percent of people in the U.S. have received at least one dose of vaccine — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this number is closer to 47 percent. The administration has set a goal to have 70 percent of Americans partially vaccinated by Independence Day.
According to the CDC, the current seven-day average of new cases is about 35,000, a nearly 24-percent decrease from the week before.
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Published on May 17,2021