Texas COVID-19 cases top 2 million since the pandemic began

HOUSTON (AP) - State health officials say Texas coronavirus cases have now topped 2 million since the pandemic first struck the state in early March.

Meanwhile, a backlog of pre-holiday death certificates swelled the state’s daily coronavirus death count to unprecedented levels Wednesday.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported 405 deaths on Wednesday from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. That total includes a backlog of death certificates dating from Dec. 8 to Jan. 11.

Department spokesman Douglas Lovelady says the record number of COVID-19 death occurring in Texas in one day remains 278 deaths on July 23.