Texas pauses reopenings amid COVID-19 spike
By Reid Wilson - 06/25/20 11:50 AM EDT
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Thursday the state will pause its efforts to reopen the economy as the number of confirmed coronavirus infections spikes and hospitals begin to fill.
Abbott has been warning of a mounting catastrophe for days, as new cases rise precipitously in Houston, the Dallas metroplex and in cities like Austin, San Antonio and El Paso.
Abbott said businesses that are already allowed to operate under the current reopening phase will continue to be able to do so.
"As we experience an increase in both positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, we are focused on strategies that slow the spread of this virus while also allowing Texans to continue earning a paycheck to support their families," Abbott said in a statement. "The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses. This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business."
Experts have watched with growing alarm as the number of confirmed cases in Texas rise past 125,000. The state is dealing with an estimated 50,000 active cases, one of the highest numbers in the nation.
Texas has added more than 5,000 new cases on each of the last two days, and the number of overall cases has doubled since the end of May.
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https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/504518-texas-pauses-reopenings-amid-covid-19-spike
