Coronavirus continues to strain Texas hospitals

SAINT ANTHONY – The coronavirus outbreak continued to strain Texas hospitals on Friday, as some hard-hit areas of the state remained under curfew aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 over the holiday weekend.

State health officials reported more than 8,500 Texans hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday, down from 8,700 on Thursday, but still an increase of more than 50% from a month ago. State data shows limited capacity of intensive care units in areas such as the Texas Panhandle and El Paso area.

Local leaders in El Paso and San Antonio have declared partial curfews until Monday morning.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 2,473 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday and 51 other deaths, down sharply from numbers reported Thursday. Reported cases and deaths often fall immediately after vacations and weekends that delay the count of officials.

The actual number of coronavirus cases is believed to be much higher as many people have not been tested and some who do contract the disease do not have symptoms.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that go away within a few weeks. But for others, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal. The vast majority of people recover.