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Texas again sets record for new coronavirus infections as testing also sees sustained highs

New cases of coronavirus each day

As of Nov. 25, there are 1,130,980 cases in 254 counties. The average number of cases reported over the past seven days shows how the situation has changed over time by de-emphasizing daily swings. The number of new cases reported drops on weekends when labs are less likely to report new data to the state.

The state public health agency says its daily coronavirus statistics are provisional and subject to change.

Meanwhile, the number of Texans hospitalized with COVID-19 has more than doubled since the beginning of October, and Texas has reported more than 20,900 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.

The situation is particularly dire in El Paso, where officials have pleaded for more morgue workers as coronavirus fatalities climb. Experts say widespread fatigue has hastened viral transmission and worry the holidays could exacerbate an already dangerous situation.

Hospital administrators in North Texas, West Texas and the Panhandle have expressed concern about climbing numbers of coronavirus hospitalizations. Rural hospital administrators have reported difficulty transferring patients as larger hospitals in Lubbock, Amarillo and other larger cities run short on beds.

More than 8,500 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized on Nov. 25, according to state health officials. That was below Texas’ all-time high for coronavirus hospitalizations, which reached nearly 11,000 in late July.

The Department of State Health Services has said it plans to update its daily COVID-19 counts over the holiday weekend but that daily case numbers may appear lower as some local health departments report data more slowly.