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| - Texas began relaxing coronavirus lockdown measures on Friday despite reporting a single-day high in deaths, the largest and latest US state to ease restrictions without a clear drop in the number of confirmed virus cases. Stores, restaurants, movie theaters, malls, museums and libraries were allowed to reopen in the Lone Star State but with limited occupancy -- just 25 percent of their capacity. Public swimming pools, bars, gyms, beauty salons, massage parlors, bowling alleys, video game arcades and tattoo shops remain closed. And Texas Governor Greg Abbott sounded a note of caution, tweeting that "Texans should continue to practice social distancing" and follow health guidelines. "Face coverings are not mandatory, but encouraged to protect the lives of individuals at high-risk," Abbott said. Jim Isaac, 65, was among the few shoppers at the biggest mall in Texas, The Galleria in Houston, where just a few stores were open. The Macy's department store and H&M clothing outlet were closed. Isaac said he felt safe. "We protect ourselves so I think that's gonna be fine, shouldn't be a problem," he said. Diane Curtis, a receptionist accompanied by a toddler, was shopping for children's shoes and said she wasn't worried about falling ill. "Eventually it's like every other sickness that comes around," Curtis said. "It'll go away but it'll probably take time." More than 29,200 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Texas, according to the state health authorities, and there have been 816 deaths. Fifty COVID-19 deaths were reported in the state on Thursday, the most since the outbreak began in early March, and 1,000 new cases, the largest single-day number since April 10. Federal guidelines call for the number of cases to fall for 14 straight days before relaxing lockdown measures, but Texas and several other US states have forged ahead with reopening regardless. President Donald Trump, with the presidential election just six months away and the economy in a shambles, has sent mixed messages about the reopening of the country. On the one hand, he has promoted the guidelines while at the same time he has expressed support for protests held in several states demanding a faster easing of stay-at-home orders. Protests were held in Illinois, Ohio and other states on Friday including California, where Governor Gavin Newsom reversed an order allowing some beaches to open after they were packed last weekend. While Newsom was re-closing beaches, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that schools in New York state, the epicenter of the outbreak in the US, would stay closed for the rest of the academic year. White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany, speaking at her first press briefing on Friday, said Trump "wants a safe reopening." "He encourages all states to follow the data-driven guidelines to reopening," McEnany said. "But ultimately, it's the decision of the states." With more than one million confirmed cases, some 64,000 of them fatal, the United States has more infections and deaths than any country in the world. The number of cases has been on the decline in some of the hardest-hit states such as New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Florida. But the daily count of new cases nationwide has been holding steady at nearly 30,000 and the United States recorded more than 2,000 deaths on Thursday for the third day running, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. "It looks like US-style lockdowns are enough to freeze transmission in place," said Jeremy Konyndyk of the Center for Global Development. "But not enough to drive it down. "Which suggests that without further measures, we could remain on this plateau for quite a while," said Konyndyk, a member of the World Health Organization's Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee. Trump also weighed in on Friday on the protests the previous day in Lansing, Michigan, where demonstrators, some of whom were armed, stormed the state legislature to demand the Democratic governor lift lockdown orders. In a tense standoff, police wearing masks blocked the demonstrators from reaching the floor of the chamber. Protesters outside carried signs such as "Free Michigan" and "End the Lockdown." One depicted Governor Gretchen Whitmer as Adolf Hitler. The demonstration, dubbed the American Patriot Rally, was organized by a group calling itself Michigan United for Liberty and included a number of vocal Trump supporters. The protest came a day after a Michigan court ruled that stay-at-home directives issued by Whitmer on March 24 do not infringe on the constitutional rights of residents of the state, which has more than 42,000 COVID-19 cases and more than 3,800 deaths. Following another protest in Michigan earlier this month, Trump appeared to lend his support to the demonstrators by tweeting "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!" On Friday, Trump tweeted that Whitmer should "give a little, and put out the fire." "These are very good people, but they are angry," Trump said. "They want their lives back again, safely! See them, talk to them, make a deal." cl/bfm
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