BEAUMONT, Texas — Texas Governor Greg Abbott responded to rising coronavirus numbers and hospitalizations across the state in a news conference Tuesday.
The state has busted a number of COVID-19 records since Memorial Day -- including a new all-time high for new cases (2,622 on June 16) and hospitalizations linked to coronavirus (2,518 on June 16).
Abbott said the rising number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state "does raise concerns," but he said "there is no reason to be alarmed."
"Only about 10 percent or less who test positive for COVID-19 ever need to go to the hospital in the first place," Abbott said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Since the beginning of June, the state saw some of the biggest single-day caseloads since the pandemic began.
While the number of positive cases continue to fluctuate daily, reaching four historic peaks in June, hospitalizations are what are concerning doctors and medical experts across the state. Since June 1, the number of Texans in hospitals has grew nearly everyday. The last five days have all outpaced the day before and everyday marks a new historic high for the state.
"I want you to know that this is the same type of analysis that we use on an ongoing basis as we look into each and every county across the entire state of Texas to figure out exactly what is going on," Abbott said.
Abbott says the good news is even with more people in the hospital, the state has enough hospital beds and ventilators.
There are 14,993 available hospital beds statewide, or about 27% of the total number of beds. State health officials say that's double the amount that we had in early March when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Texas.
RELATED: 2,029 COVID-19 deaths. Texas marks grim milestone as cases continue surging across the state
MASK DEBATE
Despite the state continuing to reopen and expand capacities at business, Abbott urged people to stay home as much as possible and recommended only leaving home if necessary.
He also recommended people use hand sanitizer, maintain social distancing and wear a mask.
He particularly emphasized the importance of wearing a mask due to the risk of being an asymptomatic carrier. Even if someone does not feel sick, it is still possible to be a carrier, so wearing a mask protects other people in the event that you are an asymptomatic carrier.
While he did urge people to wear masks, he maintained his previous position that he did not believe local governments should make it a legal requirement or impose punishments for not wearing a mask in public places.
“I make clear on a daily basis around the entire state of Texas that wearing masks is very important and local officials send that same message," Abbott said Tuesday.
Mayors in nine cities across Texas, including Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Plano, Arlington, El Paso and Grad Praire, are now urging Abbott to rethink his policy blocking cities from requiring masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
They say a “one size fits all” approach isn’t working and local officials -- not state -- should decide whether masks should be mandatory.
The mayors point out that wearing masks would help avoid a second wave of coronavirus that could shut down businesses again.
Despite scientific studies that show face coverings work, the mayors say many people in their cities refuse to wear them.
“While it’s important to get our economy working again, we must also take precautions to avoid a massive influx of new cases overwhelming our hospitals,” the mayors said in the letter to Abbott. “And if mayors are given the opportunity to require face coverings, we believe our cities will be ready to help reduce the spread of this disease. We think you would agree that a healthy economy starts with healthy people.”
BLAMING MILLENNIALS?
Abbott says that Texans under the age of 30 are testing positively for coronavirus at a higher rate than other age groups. He says millennials are behind the recent spike in the number of cases in the state.
"There are certain counties where a majority of the people who are tested positive in that county are under the age of 30, and this typically results from people going to the bar type settings," Abbott said during the conference. "That is the case in Lubbock County, Bexar County, Cameron County."
Abbott says while there's not way to pinpoint exactly where they contracted the virus, he suggested it could be from Memorial Day weekend activities, bars and other social gatherings where face masks were not worn.
“There have been pictures that I have seen and others have seen about these bar type settings where clearly the standards are not being followed,” Abbott said. “Enforcements from the TABC should bring these types of settings more and align to being safer standards.”
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission recently warned bars and restaurants that serve alcohol that they could have their license suspended for 30-60 days if they did not follow COVID-19 guidelines.
Angela Clendenin, an epidemiologist and biostatistician at Texas A&M University School of Public Health, told the Texas Tribune that young people may be acting less cautiously than older Texans because they're careless or confident in their ability to fight off the virus.
"It boils down to behaviors," she said. "Younger people, because they're asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, going about business as usual, still wanting to hang out with each other... They feel perfectly comfortable that they're fine and they will be fine."
