The city of Houston confirmed four new deaths April 28 and Harris County, outside of the city, confirmed another case, bringing the total in the county to 103 deaths. In Houston, each of the four individuals was between the ages of 70-89 and had underlying health conditions, according to the Houston Health Department. Harris County did not immediately release details on its case.
Montgomery, Fort Bend and Galveston counties each confirmed two new deaths; Brazoria County also confirmed one, bringing the total among the Houston area's five most populous counties to 169.
Harris County remains among the lowest in terms of its death toll when compared to other large U.S. counties. As of April 28, Los Angeles County in California has reported 942 deaths; Cook County in Illinois has reported 1,347 deaths; and New York City—considered the epicenter of the virus in the U.S.—has reported 12,067 deaths. Elsewhere in Texas, Dallas County has reported 84 deaths, and Travis County has reported 42 deaths.
The news in Harris County comes on the heels of an announcement from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo about a three-pronged effort to ramp up testing and contain the virus in advance of businesses starting to reopen May 1 under relaxed orders from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Health districts across the Greater Houston area confirmed 226 new cases while recoveries increased by 191, resulting in an increase in active cases of 23.
