AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas has reported 290 more deaths from the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, but the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is plummeting. The Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday that the state’s pandemic death toll from COVID-19 now totals 42,575. The state’s confirmed and probable coronavirus cases rose by 7,332 to almost 2.63 million. An estimated 174,645 cases are active and 6,185 required hospitalization, down by 794 this week. Figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University show the rolling average number of daily new Texas cases fell by 4,179.6 per day over the past two weeks, a decrease of 36.7%.