Texas struggles as Covid-19 cases surge

Texas shattered records on Tuesday when it reported over 10,000 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase in the state since the pandemic started, according to the state health department.

Texas, with 30 million residents, has reported more new daily coronavirus cases than any European country had at the height of their outbreaks, according to a Reuters tally.

Outbreaks in Texas, California, Florida and Arizona have helped the United States break records and send cases rising at the highest rates seen yet in the epidemic.

In June, Texas infections rose by 154% or over 100,000 new cases. The percentage of tests coming back positive has soared in July to 13% from 5% at the end of May.

To contain the outbreak, Texas ordered bars to close and limited restaurant capacity. The governor has said shutting down the state again is a last resort and has resisted mandating masks when people go out in public.

Only two other US states have reported more than 10,000 cases in a day. Florida reported 11,458 new cases on Saturday.

New York recorded 12,847 new infections on April 10, three weeks after the state implemented a strict lockdown that closed most businesses. Once the epicenter of the US epidemic, New York saw cases rise by about 6% in June - the lowest rate in the country.