Only weeks after the state’s lockdown protocols began to be lifted, Texas has reported its largest single-day increase in coronavirus infections. On Saturday, the state’s department of health confirmed 1,801 new cases in the preceding 24 hours, attributed heavily to an outbreak of 700 cases in Amarillo meat-packing plants, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Prior to this, new cases had been on the decline and did not typically top 1,250 per day. The previous single-day record had been around 1,500.

This surge in the data is not expected to subside in the short-term, as Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that the state will begin increased testing in high-risk institutions, including meat-packing plants, jails, and nursing homes.

“That is exactly why I established Surge Response Teams,” Abbott said on Saturday. “By immediately deploying resources and supplies to these high-risk areas, we will identify the positive cases, isolate the individuals and ensure any outbreak is quickly contained, which is the strategy being deployed in Amarillo.”

Texas began lifting restrictions on May 1, allowing certain malls, movie theaters, restaurants, and retail shops to operate at one-fourth their typical capacity. This rollback is still on track and will lift restrictions on gyms, office buildings, and non-essential manufacturing plants this coming Monday.

According to Johns Hopkins University, Texas has so far seen over 47,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus and 1,318 reported deaths.

A worker prepares to hand out food in Houston, Texas
A worker prepares to hand out food in Houston, Texas AFP / Mark Felix
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