TEXAS — Texas on Wednesday reported nearly another 40,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as the omicron variant surges through the state. The high case count could still be attributed in part to a backlog of cases created over the holiday weekend, however.
The Texas Department of State Health Services on Wednesday reported 39,943 new cases of the virus, 9,002 new probable cases and 92 more deaths attributed to it.
Hospitalizations in Texas as of Wednesday have jumped to 8,129. Of those, 1,601 patients are in intensive care and 879 are currently on ventilators. There are now 307 pediatric patients hospitalized with the virus in Texas.
State data now indicates Texas has surpassed 4 million total cases, at 4,018,044. However, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University indicates Texas passed that threshold months ago. Johns Hopkins data puts the number at 4,851,986.
Roughly 1 in 3 COVID-19 tests in Texas are currently coming back positive.
In Laredo, Mayor Pete Saenz has signed a Declaration of Public Health Emergency.
Houston-Tillotson University in Austin and Texas State University in San Marcos are limiting instruction to virtual classrooms for the time being.
Meanwhile, following a request from Texas officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will open six new testing facilities in the state. According to a report from the Houston Chronicle, they will be opened in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, Cameron, Tarrant and Hidalgo counties, though the exact locations have yet to be determined.
