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Texas passes 10,000 new virus cases in single day; among only 3 states to ever do so

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AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas surpassed 10,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time, crossing a sobering milestone rarely seen since the pandemic first hit the U.S. in March.

The record high of 10,028 confirmed cases Tuesday follows Gov. Greg Abbott's decision to mandate masks in much of the state and to close bars, retreating from what had been one of America’s fastest re-openings.

New York and Florida are the only other states to record more than 10,000 new cases in a single day. New York hit that grim total back in April, when New York City hospitals were overwhelmed and hundreds of people were dying every day. Florida topped 10,000 confirmed cases last week.

The record mark in Texas partly reflects a lag in testing results from the Fourth of July weekend, when newly reported cases were far below what Texas has seen in recent weeks.

Texas surged past 8,000 statewide hospitalizations for the first time over the long holiday weekend — a more than quadruple increase on the past month. On Tuesday, the number of hospitalizations soared past 9,000. Texas also set a new high for deaths in a single day with 60.

El Paso on Tuesday contributed to the state's tally with 181 new cases, 28 additional hospitalizations and four new deaths.

Mayors in some of the other big cities in the state — including Austin, San Antonio and Houston — have warned that hospitals could soon become overwhelmed with coronavirus patients.

The record count was reported on a day that also saw the State Fair of Texas canceled for the the first time since World War II. Fair organizers said the event, which draws more than a million visitors to Dallas each fall, was not feasible during the pandemic.

Deaths remain lower in Texas compared to other big states. As of Tuesday, Texas has confirmed that at least 2,715 people have died due to Covid-19. But fatalities have climbed in recent days, and in addition to an alarming acceleration in new cases in Texas, the seven-day infection rate has climbed to 13.5%.

The number of infections is likely far higher because many people haven’t been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.

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