AUSTIN, Texas _ More than 11,000 people have died of coronavirus-related causes in Texas, according to state data released Friday. That comes just four days after state health officials reported 10,000 fatalities statewide.
The 258 new fatalities reported Friday, which brought the statewide death toll to 11,051, occurred up to 10 days prior to when they were reported because state officials are now using death certificates to tally COVID-19 fatalities.
Only New York, New Jersey and California rank above Texas in COVID-19 deaths.
The Texas Department of State Health Services also reported 4,651 new cases Friday. The number of new daily cases generally has been declining since mid-July, but the Texas Department of State Health Services has cautioned that glitches in the state's reporting system have clouded the actual case counts.
"We're really working on what we can do to speed up our reporting process and improve it," Lara Anton, a spokeswoman for the Department of State Health Services, said in a statement.
The positivity rate _ the percentage of people testing positive among those tested _ Thursday, the latest data available, was 14.38%, according to the state health agency.
Gov. Greg Abbott, who issued a statewide mask mandate in early July amid a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, has said a positivity rate over 10% is cause for concern, citing White House officials who say a rate above 10% suggests a spreading infection across a region.
The World Health Organization advised governments that before allowing businesses to reopen, the number should remain at 5% or lower for at least two weeks.
Meanwhile, there are 5,566 coronavirus patients in Texas hospitals.
That number has steadily declined over the last month, which health experts say is a promising sign that the spread of the virus is slowing and treatments are improving.
