Texas Governor rules out another shutdown as state reports over 12,000 new cases, a single-day record
AUSTIN, TX - MAY 18: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Texas Governor Greg Abbott announces the reopening of more Texas businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic at a press conference at the Texas State Capitol on May 18, 2020 in Austin, Texas. Abbott said that chi
AUSTIN, Texas - Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is ruling out another shutdown in Texas as cases soar and thousands of additional medical workers are rushed to overworked hospitals.
Abbott said Thursday there's an "overestimation" of what shutdowns achieve and claimed that local leaders asking for stricter measures weren't doing enough to enforce rules already in place.
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His stance comes as other governors across the U.S. are retreating to lockdown measures as cases rise nationwide.
The state on Thursday shattered a single-day record with over 12,000 new coronavirus cases reported. It's on the verge of surpassing 8,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients for the first time since a deadly summer outbreak, which back then Abbott met with orders that closed bars and limited restaurant occupancy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.