texas Coronavirus: Texas governor mandates wearing of face masks Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered face coverings to be worn in public as coronavirus cases rocket in the state. The directive applies to counties with 20 or more Covid-19 cases, which covers most of Texas' 254 counties. Texas has seen a surge of hospital admissions in recent days, hitting a record high of more than 8,000 virus cases in a single day on Wednesday. "Wearing a face covering will help us to keep Texas open for business," Mr Abbott said, announcing the order. After an initial warning, those who refuse will face a fine up to $250. florida Florida records over 10K COVID-19 cases, highest single-day increase Florida recorded 10,109 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, the highest single-day increase for the state. There are now more than 169,000 confirmed cases in Florida. An additional 68 deaths were reported Wednesday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 fatalities to 3,718. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has taken some steps to try to slow the spread of the virus, including closing bars and some beaches. While he has not issued a statewide mask mandate, several localities require the use of masks in public.

philadelphia ‘Truly Alarming': Pa. Records Highest Single-Day Number of COVID-19 Cases Since May Hospitals are not yet crowded, but higher percentages of people are testing positive. Philadelphia reported 143 new cases Thursday, far below the peak of 603 reported in mid-April. But that number, too, is the most seen since June 17. The rising figures, and rising rate of positive tests, come as health officials in Philadelphia and Allegheny County point to people socializing in bars and returning from beach vacations and travel to coronavirus hot spots in other parts of the U.S.