--- title: "TX and FL Are Closing Bars Back Down After Opening Way Too Soon" description: "Texas and Florida were forced to close bars back down this afternoon after the states hit new record numbers in new confirmed coronavirus cases." date: "2020-06-26" modified: "2020-06-26" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/tx-fl-closing-bars-after-opening-too-soon" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "florida" --- # TX and FL Are Closing Bars Back Down After Opening Way Too Soon ![Texas and Florida were forced to close bars back down this afternoon after the states hit new record numbers in new confirmed coronavirus cases.]() *\Image: Axios/Victor Tangermann\* Texas and Florida were forced to close bars back down today after the states hit new record numbers in confirmed coronavirus cases, [*CNBC* reports]() — an embarrassing reversal for politicians who claimed it was safe to open the states back up. Florida governor Ron DeSantis made the announcement to shut down bars after state officials reported just shy of 9,000 new COVID-19 cases in the state, demolishing the previously held record of 5,508 on June 24. "As I said from the start, if the positivity rate rose above 10% the State of Texas would take further action to mitigate the spread of COVID-19," Texas governor Gregg Abbott said in [a statement](). "At this time, it is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars." Officials are worried hospitals may become overloaded as beds and spots in the ER are running low. [According to *Axios*](), it's the single highest single-day increase in Florida cases for any state since the beginning of the epidemic. The 25 to 34 age range [accounts for most cases](), according to Florida state officials. "When I go out, I see fewer and fewer people wearing masks and practicing safe, physical distancing," Lawrence Antonucci, chief executive of the Lee Health hospital system in Fort Myers, [told *The New York Times*](). "The threat of this virus is as real as it’s ever been." In April, DeSantis applauded the state's efforts to keep numbers low. "Florida has done better than anyone predicted," the governor [tweeted]() on April 29. "Data and science have helped us flatten the curve in a safe way." On the same day, Florida [stopped releasing]() the list of coronavirus deaths complied by Florida state coroners. ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()