Nearly 2K New Coronavirus Cases Reported In Texas Saturday

AUSTIN, TX — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Texas increased by nearly 2,000 Saturday as the total number of cases in the state surpassed 73,000.

The Texas Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,940 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and 31 new deaths.

To date, 1,819 Texans have died from coronavirus-related illnesses.

Coronavirus-related illnesses in Texas are reported on a dashboard that is updated daily.

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According to the dashboard, 1,093,277 total tests have been administered in the state. Health officials also report the number of antibody tests given — tests that detect those who were previously been infected but have since recovered. On Saturday, the number of antibody tests taken was 115,910.

The highest rates of illness as of Saturday were in the following counties:

• Harris County: 13,940 cases
• Dallas County: 11,541 cases
• Tarrant County: 5,985 cases
• Travis County: 3,616 cases
• El Paso County: 3,298 cases
• Bexar County: 3,143 cases
• Potter County: 2,754 cases
• Fort Bend County: 2,117 cases
• Walker County: 1,850 cases
• Denton County: 1,467 cases
• Collin County: 1,447 cases
• Montgomery County: 1,064 cases

Despite the uptick in illness, the governor this week eased more restrictions on businesses by upping allowable occupancy levels at establishments. In a prepared statement, Abbott said all businesses in Texas will now be able to operate at up to 50 percent capacity, "with very limited exceptions."

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