By Alison Medley
Updated
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Even amid the pandemic, revelers hit Crystal Beach in Bolivar Peninsula for “Go Topless Jeep Weekend” on Saturday afternoon
Even amid the pandemic, revelers hit Crystal Beach in Bolivar Peninsula for “Go Topless Jeep Weekend” on Saturday afternoon
Photo: Twitter/Vanessa Broussard
Photo: Twitter/Vanessa Broussard
Even amid the pandemic, revelers hit Crystal Beach in Bolivar Peninsula for “Go Topless Jeep Weekend” on Saturday afternoon
Even amid the pandemic, revelers hit Crystal Beach in Bolivar Peninsula for “Go Topless Jeep Weekend” on Saturday afternoon
Photo: Twitter/Vanessa Broussard
Chron.com is following the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area.
6:21 p.m.
Texas reported 1,801 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday — the biggest single-day jump in cases since the pandemic began, the Austin Bureau’s Jeremy Wallace reports.
Wallace reveals in his report that a growing outbreak in the Texas Panhandle is a main factor for the surge in cases. More than 700 new cases were reported out of Amarillo on Saturday with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warning those numbers will continue to climb as the state increases testing in that hotspot.
3: 17 p.m.
Even amid the pandemic, revelers hit Crystal Beach in Bolivar Peninsula for “Go Topless Jeep Weekend” on Saturday afternoon. The Jeeps were out in full-force on the beach, but the event is reportedly “calmer” than last year, tweeted 12 News’ Vanessa Broussard.
Last year’s event drew thousands, resulting in over 100 arrests on Crystal Beach.
1:05 p.m.
Kingwood’s annual July 4th parade has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, Chronicle’s Savannah Mehrtens reports.
Their final decision ultimately was made for reasons of safety during the pandemic and uncertainty of permits and state regulations in the coming months.
“It’s a big event for us — it’s the largest small town parade in Texas, and it’s one of the largest small-town parades in the U.S.,” Kingwood Civic Club president, Cindy Higgins said. “So for us, it is a sad thing that we’re not doing it.”
9 a.m.
While confirmed coronavirus cases remain low in Crosby and Huffman, testing options are similarly sparse, Elliott Lapin reports.
The nearest coronavirus permanent testing location for residents of Crosby and Huffman is at Stallworth Stadium in Baytown, which is about a 15-mile drive from Crosby and a 24-mile drive from Huffman.
Harris County Public Health department has set up a system of mobile testing sites that change locations throughout the county on a weekly basis.
“I will continue to fight for every area of my precinct to get them a mobile testing site,” Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said.
8:35 a.m.
A new study reveals that 41 of 50 states fail to test widely enough to drive coronavirus infections below a significant benchmark, according to an AP analysis of metrics by Harvard’s Global Health Institute.
Texas and Georgia are among the states falling short of this benchmark. Both states have recently moved to reopen stores, malls, and other businesses. Read more details in this latest update.
7 a.m.
There are now 4,564,286 million confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide, with a global death toll rising to 308,211, according to Johns Hopkins University. As of Saturday morning, Texas Health and Human Services is now reporting 45,198 COVID-19 cases in the state with 1,272 deaths. There are now 8,817 confirmed cases in Houston and Harris County.
