Two cities in Texas seek lockdowns
Florida outbreak total: 200,000 test positive
DALLAS— Leaders in two of Texas’ biggest cities are calling on the governor to empower local governments to order residents to stay home as the state’s continued surge in coronavirus cases tests hospital capacity.
Meanwhile, Florida health officials say the state has reached a grim milestone: More than 200,000 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since the start of the outbreak.
In Texas, Austin Mayor Steve Adler told CNN’S “State of the Union” on Sunday that he wants Gov. Gregg Abbott, a Republican, to return control of his city to the local government as its hospitals face a potential crisis.
“If we don’t change the trajectory, then I am within two weeks of having our hospitals overrun,” Adler, a Democrat, said. “And in our ICUS, I could be 10 days away from that.”
Texas reported 3,449 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, after a record high of 8,258 Saturday. State health officials also reported 29 additional deaths, bringing the totals to 2,637 fatalities and 195,239 confirmed cases. A record 8,181 Texans with COVID-19 were hospitalized Sunday.
The Fourth of July weekend has seen some defiance of Abbott’s orders closing bars and requiring people to wear face coverings in public in much of the state.
The mask order — which carries a $250 fine — came as part of the most dramatic about-face Abbott has made as he retreats from what stood out as one of America’s swiftest reopenings.
In Florida, statistics released Sunday showed an additional 10,000 confirmed cases.
About 43 percent of the cases are in three counties: Miami-dade, Broward and Palm Beach.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week” that the high numbers of positive tests both in his county and in the state are “extremely worrisome.”
Miami-dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that residents “let their guard down around late May, early June.”
“The virus is not harmless. No, absolutely not,” he said. “If it were harmless, I wouldn’t be taking the steps that we’re taking here in Miami-dade.”
Gimenez, who closed the beaches this holiday weekend, said young people are fueling the increase in cases in his county.
In Arizona, which leads the U.S. in new coronavirus cases per capita, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego is pointing to a “crisis” involving coronavirus testing shortages in her city because of surging cases.
Gallego, a Democrat, said some residents over the weekend had to line up for eight hours by car to get COVID-19 tests.
Gallego told ABC’S “This Week” that Arizona went from “zero to 60” by being one of the first states to reopen.
Arizona health officials reported 3,536 additional coronavirus cases Sunday and four more known deaths.