(Newser)
– The Texas governor ordered all bars closed again and reduced the number of restaurant meals on Friday in the largest recall yet by any state, as the number of new confirmed cases of coronavirus per day in the US It reached a record high of 40,000, on the AP. Republican Governor Greg Abbott has so far pursued one of the most aggressive reopening times in any state. “It is clear that the increase in cases is largely due to certain types of activities, including Texans who congregate in bars,” he said. “Actions in this executive order are essential to our mission to quickly contain this virus and protect public health.” Abbott has also switched to urging people to wear masks. “Every Texan has a responsibility to themselves and their loved ones to wear a mask, wash their hands, stay six feet away from others in public, and stay home if they can,” he said, according to KHOU11.
Meanwhile, the number of new confirmed infections in the US per day exceeded the previous high of 36,400, set on April 24, according to a count maintained by Johns Hopkins University. While the increase is believed to partly reflect expanded evidence, experts say there is ample evidence that the virus is making a comeback, including increasing deaths and hospitalizations in parts of the country, especially in the south and west. Arizona, Florida and Arkansas are among the states that have been as affected as Texas. Overall, deaths from the coronavirus fell to around 600 per day, compared to around 2,200 in mid-April. Despite the increase in cases, some experts have expressed doubts that deaths will return to that level, due to advances in treatment and also because a large part of new infections occur in younger adults, who are more likely let the older ones survive.
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