Correction: This article has been updated with the correct estimate of ICU beds in surge capacity in Harris County.

A total of 320 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Harris County June 9, taking the total cases to be confirmed in the county to 15,238. A total of 9,146 of those cases are considered active while 5,830 are confirmed to have recovered and 262 have died. No new coronavirus deaths were confirmed June 9 in Harris County.

The county total, which includes cases reported by the city of Houston, has now increased by more than 300 cases in seven of the past nine days. The daily total surpassed 300 only once in the month of May.

The increase in daily cases comes as the number of tests conducted per day has slowed slightly in Harris County, based on data being compiled by the Texas Department of State Health Services. A total of 25,869 tests were conducted between June 2-8—a number that includes antibody tests—as compared to 27,544 tests conducted between May 26-June 1, 28,198 tests between May 19-25 and 33,321 tests between May 12-18.

Total hospitalizations continued to rise in Harris County as well, according to data tracked by the Southeast Texas Regional Advisory Council. A total of 769 suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients were in county hospitals as of June 8, an increase of more than 50 cases from the previous day, when 712 were counted. SETRAC estimated there 645 COVID-19 cases in county hospitals one week prior on June 1.


Occupancy rates in hospital intensive care units stood at 89% on June 8, with 1,453 of 1,628 beds occupied. However, another 300 beds exist in surge capacity in the county.