Appleby said in her filmed comments at the weekend that she had been spurred to reveal the case after seeing a “concerning” rise in infections. She said 22% of tests were revealing a case of Covid-19, up from just 5% a few weeks ago.
A broader age range were being affected, with several 20 and 30 year olds critically ill at the Methodist hospital, she said.
“Please wear a mask, stay at home when you can, avoid groups of people and sanitise your hands,” said Appleby.
The call for caution came as top officials in Houston urged the city to lock back down as hospitals struggled to accommodate new coronavirus cases.
Houston mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said a stay-at-home order was needed for America’s fourth-largest city to cope with the surge.
Last week, Texas continued to break records for confirmed cases and deaths linked to the disease. State health officials reported 8,196 new cases on Sunday, another 80 deaths and a total of 10,410 people hospitalised due to the virus.
The decision over a lockdown, however, rests with Republican governor Greg Abbott, who has resisted this step, saying it should be a last resort.
Source: 30-year-old dies after attending ‘Covid party’ in Texas | World news | The Guardian