Texas coronavirus deaths top 200 as hospitalizations decline

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The number of deaths in Texas due to the illness caused by the coronavirus has increased by more than 200 while the number of people hospitalized with the virus declined. The Texas state health department on Saturday reported 227 additional COVID-19 deaths for a total of more than 42,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. The state health department reported more than 4,900 new cases and a total of more than 2.5 million cases since the pandemic began. The health department reported 7,535 hospitalizations due to the virus, a decline of 222.