Texas temporarily halts phased reopening as COVID-19 infections surge

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Thursday that he was temporarily halting the state's phased economic reopening in response to a recent jump in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. "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.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said on Thursday that he was temporarily halting the state's phased economic reopening in response to a recent jump in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations.

"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. Texas, the second largest U.S. state by population, has had one of the biggest surges in new coronavirus infections in the country. The state has reported more than 5,000 new cases for three days in a row and hit successive records for COVID-19 hospitalizations for 13 consecutive days.

The proportion of Texans testing positive for the virus has risen to 10%, one of the few states in the country with a double-digit positivity rate. Abbott said businesses that were allowed to open under the state's previous phases can continue to operate at their designated occupancy levels and under the previously set minimum standard health protocols.