Texas becomes first state to surpass 1 million COVID-19 cases

Texas has become the first U.S. state with more than 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases as the nation continues to face a surge in infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University early Wednesday.

The nation’s second-most populous state has recorded 1,010,364 coronavirus cases and 19,337 deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early March, according to the count on the Johns Hopkins website.

Texas had recently surpassed California in recording the highest number of positive coronavirus tests. The true number of infections is likely higher because many people haven’t been tested.

Texas recorded 10,865 new coronavirus cases alone on Tuesday, setting a new daily record that exceeded the old mark, set July 15, by 74 cases, state officials said.

According to state figures Tuesday, an estimated 132,146 cases are active, the most since Aug. 17, and 6,170 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, the most since Aug. 18.

There were 94 new deaths Tuesday, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

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Cases are surging in the Laredo area as the borderlands remain a coronavirus hotbed, health officials said.

Laredo health officials reported 331 new infections Tuesday, the most since the Aug. 10 peak of 374. That brought the area’s case count since the beginning of March to 16,558.

El Paso, another border city, is also grappling with a recent surge of cases. Another 1,292 infections were reported in El Paso County on Tuesday, bringing its cumulative count to 65,651, with 27,895 cases now active and 1,076 requiring hospitalization. Nine new deaths brought the county’s COVID-19 death toll to 682.