Coronavirus in Texas: Shell evacuates employees after outbreak on rig in Gulf of Mexico

In Austin, Roppolo's Pizza manager C.J. Oyakhire waited for customers Friday, the first night Texas bars reopened after shutting down in March to help slow the spread of COVID-19. REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona

Shell evacuates employees after outbreak on rig in Gulf of Mexico

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Nine Shell employees were evacuated from an offshore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico after five people tested positive for the new coronavirus, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The European oil and gas company, which has headquarters in Houston, did not specify at which offshore platform the outbreak happened but said it will reduce staffing there to minimal levels, according to the Chronicle.

Shell operates nine offshore platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, and about 160 people work on the rig that was the site of coronavirus cases, KHOU-TV reported. — Sami Sparber

Texas reports 57,921 cases and 1,562 deaths

Texas officials are expected to release the latest number of people who have tested positive for the new coronavirus Thursday. On Wednesday, the state reported 1,361 more cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of known cases to 57,921. In the last week, the state reported an average of 942 new cases per day.

Reagan County reported its first case Wednesday; almost every county in Texas has reported at least one confirmed case of the virus. Harris County has reported the most cases, 11,281, followed by Dallas County, which has reported 9,188 cases. The Tribune publishes maps of the latest case numbers for each county and case rates per 1,000 residents.

The state has reported 26 additional deaths, bringing the statewide total to 1,562. — Darla Cameron

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