US Texas adds nearly 15,000 COVID-19 cases as governor says no shutdown coming
Registered Respiratory Therapist Niticia Mpanga looks through patient information in the ICU at Oakbend Medical Center in Richmond, Texas, on July 15, 2020.
US state of Texas added nearly 15,000 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number to over 300,000 cases.
According to Texas Health and Human Services, as of Friday there have been 307,572 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state, 14,916 more cases than that of Thursday. The death toll reached 3,735, up 174 from Thursday.
Although confirmed cases, death toll and hospitalization continue to soar in the state, Governor Greg Abbott said there will not be another shutdown.
"Let me tell you, there is no shutdown coming," Abbott told local TV station on Thursday.
Abbott in recent weeks have taken some measures, including statewide mask mandate and bar shutting down order, to slow down the spread of coronavirus. He said in the interview that it would take a few weeks to see a reversal in coronavirus case surges.
He, again, pointed that people must wear masks in public places as ordered to avoid a shutdown. "The only way we can avoid a shutdown is if we do get everybody buying into this process of wearing a face mask," he said.
Meanwhile, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner urged people to stay home this coming weekend as the city is in full crises mode due to the pandemic.
"If we do not turn our numbers around and adhere to the advices we have been saying, there will be no choice but to do a stay home order. Our destiny in our hands," he said in the press conference Friday.
The mayor also added two businesses that have violated capacity limits for large gatherings on his "COVID-19 Accountability Wall."
"For businesses/establishments who are blatantly defying the orders, they will force us closer to a stay home order," he said.
