Texas is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases and one scientist working on a vaccine called the recent outbreak “absolutely horrifying,” the Houston Chronicle reports.
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, told the newspaper he is “terribly upset” about the spike in cases.
Hotez said some coronavirus models were predicting an uptick in cases, which is why he was opposed to the state reopening as early as it did.
Now, he said Texas needs to implement mitigation measures quickly.
"We have to implement a significant level of social distancing. Now, we have no choice," Hotez told the Chronicle. "We have to take action before the weekend. At the minimum, we must focus on the metropolitan areas: Houston, San Antonio, and Austin. We are already reaching a dire health crisis in Houston, and it will only get worse."
On Tuesday, Texas reported 5,489 new COVID-19 cases.
On Thursday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Thursday announced a temporary pause on the state’s reopening plan.
“This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business," Abbott said in a statement. "I ask all Texans to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 by wearing a mask, washing their hands regularly, and socially distancing from others. The more that we all follow these guidelines, the safer our state will be and the more we can open up Texas for business.”
Hotez told the BBC that Texas is facing a "humanitarian catastrophe" and the state needs to act fast to stop the virus from spreading even more.
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