Texas reports a new hospitalization record for COVID-19

DALLAS – Texas set a new hospitalization record for COVID-19 on Sunday as the rise in disease caused by the new coronavirus continued to strain state medical resources after travel and vacation meetings.

State health officials reported 12,563 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, an increase of more than 240 from Saturday. It was the sixth time in seven days that the state reported record hospitalizations.

Intensive care units in various parts of the state were full or nearly full on Sunday, according to the Texas State Department of Health Services.

The department reported 14,535 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, 1,510 most likely cases and 50 deaths. The actual number of cases is believed to be much higher because many people have not been tested and some who get sick show no symptoms.

Over the past seven days, nearly one in five coronavirus tests in Texas has tested positive, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

For most people, coronavirus causes mild to moderate symptoms that clear up in a few weeks. But for other people, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause serious illness and be fatal.