Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says COVID-19 is spreading at an "unacceptable rate" in his state and "tougher actions will be required" if cases doubled by the middle of July.
But the Republican leader also noted his state would remain "open for business."
"Our goal is to keep Texans out of hospitals and to reduce the number of Texans who test positive," Abbott said during a press conference Monday on the state's response to the pandemic.
"COVID hasn't gone away, but neither has our ability to stop the spread of it. We don't have to choose between jobs and health. We can have both. We can protect Texan lives while also restoring livelihoods.
"Together, we will keep Texas wide open for business," he concluded.
Texas last week was averaging more than 3,500 new cases per day after averaging just 1,500 per day in May. Hospitalizations also set a record at 10 days straight and are now at more than 3,200.
More than 111,000 cases have been reported in Texas, and more than 2,100 people have died, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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