Houston Coronavirus Updates: What You Need to Know by August 17th

Chron.com follows the latest headlines about the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area

10 a.m.: The latest numbers from Houston, Texas

Texas recorded more than 10,300 total COVID-19 deaths as of Sunday – about a one percent increase, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data.

As of Sunday evening, the statewide total had increased from 547,561 to 555,770 cases in total. Part of the large increase comes from more than 5,300 new cases in Dallas County that were reported when a data error was corrected.

The Houston region’s death toll had risen by 691 to 132,192 cases in total, and the 23 reported new deaths brought the region’s death toll to 2,410. Harris County reported 555 new cases and is now at 92,253 cases in total.

Several more free COVID-19 test sites were announced throughout the Houston area. Visit the Houston City website to see a complete list.

NOTE: The numbers included in this report represent a one-day change in data from Saturday, August 15th through Sunday, August 16th. It is not yet clear how many of the state’s new cases can be assigned to inmates in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The Houston Chronicle’s analysis of data on COVID-19 now includes probable and pending cases. This change is based on interviews with multiple public health officials and epidemiologists, as well as in compliance with CDC reporting guidelines. DSHS now uses death certificate data for its counts of COVID deaths, leading to some Texas counties having dramatically higher counts than others and some counties having higher numbers than state figures.