Texas reported 2,926 Covid-19 cases, 53 more deaths

Texas – Across the state, 2,926 more cases were reported Friday, including 2,675 new cases and 251 older ones recently reported by labs.

The state also reported 53 COVID-19 deaths, raising its toll to 49,527.

Of the new cases, 1,962 were confirmed and 713 were probable. Of the older cases, 209 were confirmed and 42 were probable.

The state’s case total is now 2,901,504, including 2,484,044 confirmed and 417,460 probable.

There are 2,568 COVID-19 patients in Texas hospitals, including 526 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. On Thursday, 3.2% of patients in the hospital region covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area were COVID-19 patients — below the 15% threshold the state has used to define high hospitalizations.

The seven-day average positivity rate statewide for molecular tests, based on the date of test specimen collection, was 4.7% as of Thursday. For antigen tests, the positivity rate for the same period was 2.9%. A molecular test is considered more accurate and is sometimes also called a PCR test; an antigen test is also called a rapid test. Gov. Greg Abbott has said a positivity rate above 10% is cause for concern.

According to the state, 11,347,541 people in Texas have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 8,471,564 — 37.8% of the state’s population 16 and older — are fully vaccinated.