Johns Hopkins University says Texas is the first U.S. state to surpass 1 million cases of COVID-19.

WHEN WILL IT END? That's a great question. Since the pandemic started in mid-March, the world has seen record amounts of people infected with coronavirus. We've seen shut-downs, lock-downs, purchase limits on certain products, and even mandated protocols designed to keep us all safe, yet here we are eight months later and the pandemic rages on.

Have any of the social distancing protocols even worked?

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We are still seeing rising numbers of cases across the country and, according to a report from the Killeen Daily Herald, here in Texas we have become the first state to cross over the 1 million cases mark.

Texas is the second most populous state in the nation, behind California. California was leading the nation in cases until recently, when Texas passed them. Texas is now at 1,010,364 cases of COVID-19 with over 19,000 deaths. COVID-19 cases seemed to have peaked in mid-July, but earlier in the week Texas reported 10,865 cases, which was a new daily record. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 94 new deaths on Tuesday as well.

Health officials are saying cases are surging in border towns like Laredo, where officials say 331 new cases on Tuesday, and El Paso where 1,292 cases were reported in El Paso County.

So when does all of this end? There is no way to tell. Texas has about 29.9 million people and testing is plentiful. We have a lot of positive tests because we test so many people. Sound familiar?

It's still very important to practice the social distancing protocols that have been set up for us. Stay 6 to 8 feet away from others, wash your hands frequently and most importantly, wear your mask. It's just as much for other people's protection as yours.

 

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