Medical workers treat a patient with Covid-19 in the intensive care unit at United Memorial Medical Centre :Getty Images 

Texas Becomes First U.S. State to Surpass 1 Million COVID-19 Cases

While the world remained focused on the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, Texas quietly reached a grim milestone—becoming the first U.S. state to record over 1 million COVID-19 cases.

According to the latest COVID-19 data, as of late Friday night, Texas recorded 1,000,589 confirmed cases, outpacing California’s 960,361 cases.

COVID-19 Cases Surge Across Texas and California

Both Texas and California have seen a sharp rise in new coronavirus cases over the past few weeks.

• Texas saw a 40% increase in new infections.
• California experienced a 31% rise in cases.
• The U.S. recorded a staggering 122,365 new cases on Friday, breaking previous daily records.

The United States Remains the Global Epicenter

With nearly 9.7 million confirmed cases and 237,000 deaths, the United States continues to lead the world in both categories, according to Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 dashboard.

Texas has now reported 18,977 total deaths, a 10% increase over the past two weeks. While this number remains lower than New York’s 34,521 fatalities, it highlights a disturbing trend—94% of Texas’ cases and 91% of its COVID-related deaths have occurred since late May.

Government Response and Controversy

Despite rising cases, Governor Greg Abbott’s administration has defended its handling of the pandemic. Abbott’s spokesperson, Renae Eze, stated that Texas pursued "a strategy that proved effective in slowing the spread over the summer while allowing businesses to operate safely."

However, critics argue that early relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in May contributed to the state’s uncontrolled surge.

Adding to the controversy, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick faced backlash in March for suggesting that grandparents should be willing to risk their health to "get the country back to work."

What’s Next for Texas?

With winter approaching and COVID-19 hospitalizations rising, experts are urging stricter public health measures to prevent further surges.

As Texas crosses the 1 million case mark, the focus now shifts to containment efforts, vaccine distribution, and future lockdown measures to curb the pandemic’s impact on the economy and healthcare system.