The US state of Texas reported over 8,900 new virus cases on Tuesday, pushing the state's total over 500,000 since the start of the pandemic.
The state's average number of new daily cases is now higher than it was last week, which saw about 6,900 new cases each day.

The positive case rate - the proportion of those tested for coronavirus that are actually positive - is another indicator of the spread. It is currently at 24% in Texas. For context, the World Health Organization advised governments to avoid reopening societies until positivity rates were at 5% or lower for at least 14 days.

Critics said Texan leaders allowed the state to reopen too soon, which led to the spike earlier this summer. Officials say the numbers are now better than what they were but they are urging residents to practise social distancing and mask-wearing.

Many of the US's county-level hotspots remain in hard-hit Texas and Florida, though Florida is overall seeing a decline in its new cases. California, the most populous state, continues to grapple with rising Covid-19 cases - with 12,500 reported on Tuesday.