HOUSTON (AP) — Texas on Saturday surpassed 25,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, the second-highest total in the country.
State health officials reported 272 new deaths due to COVID-19, bringing Texas’ death toll to 25,226.
Cases of COVID-19 and virus-related hospitalizations continue to rise in the state. On Saturday, the state reported 9,796 people hospitalized with the virus, an increase of nearly 23% over the last month.
Officials reported 12,914 new cases on Saturday. That comes two days after the state set its one-day record of new cases — 16,864 — on Thursday.
The increase in cases and hospitalizations comes as state health officials announced Friday that Texas will receive 620,000 more doses of COVID-19 vaccines over the next week. More than 224,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have already been delivered in Texas.
Thus far, California has the highest death toll in the country.