HOUSTON, Nov.7 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. state of Texas surpassed 950,000 on Saturday with over 6,000 hospitalized, official figures showed.

According to Texas Health and Human Services, as of Saturday, there have been 950,549 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in the state, 7,677 more cases than that of Friday. Total fatalities of COVID-19 have reached 18,700.

As of Saturday, there were at least 6,068 hospitalized patients in Texas with confirmed coronavirus infections, occupying 9.1 percent of total hospital beds, the Texas Tribune quoted official figure as saying.

Since the beginning of October, the seven-day average of new confirmed cases has more than doubled and COVID-19 hospitalizations have increased by 90 percent, said the media report.

The latest surge has been felt acutely in some small towns in the state, such as El Paso, Lubbock and Amarillo. Experts blame social events like birthday parties and game day gatherings, for the fast spread of the virus. They believed widespread fatigue has increased viral transmission as fewer people are following guidelines like wearing masks and staying home.