Texas Gov Downplays Continuing Record COVID Spike Because “We Have So Many Hospital Beds Available”

The Texas Tribune reports:

With the number of people hospitalized for the new coronavirus continuing to climb in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday that there’s “no real need to ratchet back the opening of businesses in the state.”

One of the reasons, he said in an interview with KYTX television in Tyler, is “because we have so many hospital beds available to anybody who gets ill.” Meanwhile, the seven-day average of new daily confirmed cases of the virus also continues to climb. It reached an all-time high of 1,724 on Friday.

The reopening of businesses continues — as of Friday, restaurants in Texas are allowed to operate at 75% capacity, and almost all businesses can operate at 50% capacity — Abbott and other state officials have kept a close eye on the situation in Texas hospitals.

Multiple Houston Restaurants Close Again as Workers Contract COVID-19 https://t.co/Rr8t2oxDom via @EaterHouston

— Stacie Sherman (@sserve) June 12, 2020

The number of Texans being hospitalized for the new coronavirus continues to rise.

Gov. Greg Abbott said there’s no reason to scale back on businesses openings because “we have so many hospital beds available to anyone who gets ill.”https://t.co/ygqJXPloYX

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) June 12, 2020