Joseph Varon, the doctor in charge of the COVID-19 unit at United Memorial Medical Center in north Houston, checks on a patient, May 6. Photo: Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
97% of intensive care beds in Houston's Texas Medical Center are occupied as of Wednesday.
Why it matters: Houston is the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Texas. The state reported a record number of coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, per the state health department — which is not purely due to expanded testing.
What's happening: Houston reported more than 987 new infections on Wednesday, Mayor Sylvester Turner said. He noted that 91% of the new infections come from tests that were conducted between June 14 and June 22. Seven additional people died from the coronavirus in Houston as of Wednesday evening.
- Texas has reported over 125,000 infections and nearly 2,300 deaths overall, per the state health department.
- Turner announced that Houston is asking FEMA to extend its testing commitment to the city beyond June 30. The agency currently runs two testing sites in the city.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) urged Texans to stay home to fight the "rampant" spread of the virus on Tuesday.
Zoom in: 70% of the occupied ICU beds in the Texas Medical Center system are currently taken by non-coronavirus patients, while 27% are occupied by people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
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