The Houston Chronicle’s Live Updates blog documents recent incidents of coronavirus outbreaks in the Houston area, the state of Texas and in the US with a focus on health and economic impact.
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Total cases of coronavirus:
• 555,770 cases in Texas, including 10,356 deaths.
• 132,192 in the Houston region, including 2,410 deaths.
• More than 5.4 million in the U.S., including 170,052 deaths. Click here to see a US map with constellations by state and the latest counts of coronavirus.
• More than 21.7 million people worldwide, with more than 775,926 dead. More than 13.6 million people have been recovered. You can view the global totals here.
Sources about COVID-19 and ‘Texas Recovery’: Use our interactive page to track the spread of cases across Harris County and the rest of Texas. Check out Chronicle’s Texas Coronavirus Map for a detailed look at our state. Sign up for our coronavirus newsletter to receive regular updates on our coverage.
Latest updates today:
11:35 p.m. The latest round of relief efforts for people affected by the new coronavirus will begin applications on Monday, August 17th.
How can I apply? How much money is available per tenant? What conditions apply to landlords?
Homeless and Homeless Reporter Sarah Smith completes you with what you need to know to get help.
11:10 p.m. The Texas Supreme Court has issued a temporary restraining order against the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, which requires the district teachers to return reports to their classrooms, Houston Chronicle education writer Shelby Webb reports.
The high court decision Sunday came days after a Harris County district court told the state’s third-largest school district that educators could not be forced to return until Sept. 8.
Although most of the case is still pending, the decision represents a blow to the Cypress-Fairbanks chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, which filed a lawsuit Friday. The teachers’ union had asked a judge to prevent the district from mandating that teachers return to their campuses for several weeks of professional development.
9.30am Slim Thug was Houston’s first celebrity to announce a COVID-19 diagnosis. He is now months out of quarantine, so sometimes the veteran speaks out faster.
Slim Thug has become an official city spokesman for COVID prevention, part of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s #MaskUp campaign. And his BossLife line will bring out masks and sanitizer for hands. But even with a mansion and vintage cars to entertain him, he says he’s undergoing the same COVID stresses as everyone else.
“No matter what type of house you live in,” he says, “you still get bored.”
Read more about what Slim Thug has here to this day.
8: 25 bin Finn Hall was roaring. Now, the office workers – and customers – who bring the city center to life stay at home. But since the pandemic business collapsed for the new food hall, Finn Hall owner Lionstone Investments has begun throwing its tenants into a lifeline. The landlord, along with JPMorgan Chase and other organizations, raised $ 54,450 to support Finn Hall restaurant owners.
8 p.m. The positive test rate of Texas saw a significant drop Sunday from 14.62 percent to 11.25 percent, the fourth straight day with a decline and less than half the rate five days ago, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data.
The decline comes as the statewide rolling average of viral tests continues to grow. The state reported an additional batch of 117,365 viral tests on Sunday, bringing the weekly average to 59,025. The average has more than doubled since August 12th.
Texas also saw an increase of 8,203 cases for a total of 555,770. A reported backlog at the Texas Department of State Health Services contributed in total to Sunday’s cases. Another 112 deaths brought the total death toll to 10,356.
The state’s rolling average for new cases now stands at 7,660.4, an increase from Saturday.
– Julian Gill and Jordan Rubio
