Texas tops 550,000 virus cases as demand for testing drops statewide & in El Paso
EL PASO, Texas — Texas reported more than 200 additional coronavirus deaths Tuesday as the the total number of infections surpassed 550,000 statewide.
In El Paso, there were five new deaths reported Tuesday as the total number of infections in the county reached 18,682.
Texas health officials say demand for testing has dropped in recent weeks even though plenty of tests are available. And Mayor Dee Margo says El Paso is only currently "testing at 50 percent of our capacity."
Texas this week reached 10,000 virus deaths, joining New York, New Jersey and California as the only states to reach that grim milestone. In El Paso, there have been 366 deaths to date.
Nearly four in five of Texas' deaths have come since the beginning of June, and August has routinely seen hundreds of deaths added daily in the aftermath of a massive summer outbreak in Texas.
Despite the mounting deaths, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and local leaders say the outlook in Texas is improving.
Hospitalizations have plunged by the thousands from July’s peak and held steady with about 6,200 patients Tuesday. In El Paso, there were 160 hospitalized Tuesday.
The rolling average of people who test positive for the virus in Texas remains around 11%.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said a positivity rate under 10% is an indicator that a state has robust testing.
