TYLER, Texas — There are 177 COVID-19 cases in East Texas, as of 10 p.m. Friday night.
County officials also reported four deaths on Friday alone.
Nacogdoches County had two deaths, and Panola and San Augustine County each reported reported one death from the contagious virus Friday.
In Smith County, NET Health ended the week with a press conference announcing the ages and cities of residence of patients with confirmed coronavirus.
UT Health East Texas also released new information Friday saying they will be moving their inpatient, adult behavioral health program to a new location and will see all adolescent behavioral health cases on an outpatient basis.
In national coronavirus news, researchers now believe people with coronavirus can spread the disease simply by talking and breathing, making it more contagious than originally thought.
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President Trump led a press conference Friday afternoon with his Coronavirus Taskforce in which he said the CDC is now recommending face masks for Americans, and guidelines will likely be issued soon.
“I don't think [the masks] will be mandatory because some people don't want to do that," Trump said.
