Covid-19 death toll in Texas tops 15,000; 500 of those are in El Paso

AUSTIN, Texas — The death toll from the coronavirus in Texas surpassed the 15,000 mark Wednesday as the total number of deaths across the U.S. topped 200,000, by far the highest in the world.

In El Paso, health officials said the pandemic's death toll reached 500 on Wednesday.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 2,977 newly confirmed coronavirus cases and 135 more deaths due to Covid-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Health officials say there have been more than 719,000 confirmed cases in Texas so far. The death toll stands at 15,129.

The true number of Texas cases is likely higher though because many people haven’t been tested and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.