The number of COVID-19 cases has skyrocketed over the last few weeks, fueled by holiday gatherings.
Driving the news: On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott asked the federal government for help opening new testing sites in the state, including in Dallas and Tarrant counties.
- The governor also asked the Biden administration to increase the allocation of monoclonal antibodies to Texas.
What they’re saying: “The state of Texas is urging the federal government to step up in this fight and provide the resources necessary to help protect Texans,” Abbott said in a news release.
- The governor said the federal assistance “will help us continue to save lives and mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
Threat level: Dallas County public health officials raised the coronavirus risk level, saying there is a high risk of transmission as new cases spike across North Texas and the country.
By the numbers: New statewide daily cases quadrupled since the beginning of December, according to Texas health data.
- On Dec. 1, the state reported 2,645 new confirmed cases and 975 probable cases.
- On Dec. 30, there were 10,892 confirmed cases and 4,708 probable cases.
- The percentage of tests taken that were positive increased from about 8.5% at the beginning of the month to more than 26% by the end of December.
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