On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the state has been exercising a surge in COVID-19 cases from people who are under 30 years of age.
The state officials reported a surge in new cases and the number of new hospitalizations since the outbreak began.
Texas reported more than 2,600 new cases on Tuesday, breaking the previous record that was set on June 10, said the Texas Department of Public Health.
The officials also reported 2,518 new hospitalizations, the fifth straight day of record highs. It has been found that the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has been increasing since May 25, when 1,511 people were hospitalized.
Abbot said in a press release, “The majority of people who tested positive since the beginning of June have been people under the age of 30.” He said the recent surge among young adults could be due to Memorial Day gatherings or from “bar-type settings.”
On June 3, the state moved ahead with Phase 3 of its reopening, with restaurants allowed to open at 75 percent capacity and bars at 50 percent capacity.
The Texas governor repeated the warning from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission that restaurants and bars would lose their liquor license for a month if they fail to adhere to the guidelines.
Abbott said, “We are in the middle of a short period of time where all of us have to coexist with COVID-19. The reality is COVID-19 still exists in Texas.”
The state’s largest counties have found a surge in new cases among young people, according to the Texas Tribune.
On Tuesday, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg warned younger people that they are not immune to the virus. He said, “Younger folks: You’re not immune to this.”
Abbott said the state has an “abundant” supply of hospital beds. It has more than 54,000 hospital beds and over 15,000 are free. The governor said Texas is “laser-focused” on keeping the beds available for patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
While the state has been adapting safe strategies to reopen, Abbott reminded people that the best way to prevent the spread of the virus is to stay home.
Meanwhile, mayors in the state have written a letter to Abbott asking him to allow cities to make masks mandatory, according to CBS Houston affiliate KHOU-TV.
The mayors wrote, “While it’s important to get our economy working again, we must also take precautions to avoid a massive influx of new cases overwhelming our hospitals. And if mayors are given the opportunity to require face coverings, we believe our cities will be ready to help reduce the spread of this disease.”
“We think you would agree that a healthy economy starts with healthy people,” they added. The mayors also said many people are still refusing to wear facemasks. The letter was signed by the mayors from Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso, the cities that have recorded the highest number of new coronavirus cases in Texas.
