Given a paragraph, generate a claim that is supported by the given paragraph. 1) The claim must contain information from within the paragraph. 2) A sentence within the paragraph can be used as a claim. 3) The claim should not have contradictions within the paragraph. 4) The claim should be at most one sentence long.
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Question: "Coronavirus infections are on the rise in Texas, with some areas experiencing a more dramatic increase than others. In Central Texas, Austin and its surrounding counties have reported an increase in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations. Hays County, which sits to the south of Austin, has been hit particularly hard. On June 19, the county reported more active cases than Austin's Travis County a remarkable feat considering that Travis County's population is five times that of Hays County. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat whose district includes parts of both counties, shared two tweets about the Austin area, including one highlighting the impact of the virus in Hays County. ""Hays County is one of the only places in Texas with more trouble: an incredible 845% increase in cases since June 7,"" he wrote. There's no question Hays County has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, but is Doggett's figure accurate? Hays County increase tied to activities In response to a question from PolitiFact Texas, Hays County spokeswoman Kim Hilsenbeck shared a press release outlining the impact of the coronavirus in the county since the onset of the pandemic. During April and early May when local and statewide orders to stay at home were in place the number of new daily cases in the county ranged from zero to ten. In late April, Gov. Greg Abbott initiated the first phase of a plan to reopen the state's economy and allowed the statewide stay-at-home order to expire. He also allowed restaurants, retail stores, malls and movie theaters to reopen at limited capacity. In subsequent phases, Abbott allowed barbershops and salons to reopen with limited capacity and other restrictions. He also allowed rivers, parks and other natural areas to reopen. County health officials said they believe the gradual reopening of businesses might have contributed to an increase in COVID-19 cases. ""Through contact tracing, our health department staff were able to see the rapid increase in COVID-19 totals seemed to coincide with activities such as working at or going to restaurants and bars, activities such as floating the river, and attending large public gatherings,"" the release reads. Hilsenbeck also highlighted Mothers Day (May 10), Memorial Day (May 25) and protests against racism and police brutality as significant events in May. By the end of May and early June, the number of new cases in the county started to rise. On May 27 there were 18 new cases. On June 8, there were 43 new cases. More recently, the number of new daily cases in Hays County has ranged from 100 to 200. In April and May, the majority of new cases in the county were primarily in Kyle among people older than 30 who were Hispanic. But since early June, the group experiencing the largest increase in new COVID-19 cases is 20 to 29-year-olds in San Marcos. The number of people who identified as Hispanic has decreased. ""While not all 20-29-year-olds are college students, San Marcos has a large student population because of Texas State University, many of whom are now back in town following a period of virtual learning throughout the spring,"" the release reads. Examining data on new cases Doggett spokeswoman Kate Stotesbery said the figure he shared came from a graph published by an Austin-area television station. The graph shows the number of new coronavirus cases that have been reported each day in Hays County since April, plus a line showing the 14-day average of daily new cases. An arrow pointing upwards is overlaid on the graphic, with text on top that reads: ""845% 14-day average since June 7."" But Doggett's remark on Twitter is missing that detail that there has been an 845% increase in the 14-day average of new COVID-19 cases in the county since June 7. The increase in the actual number of cases is much higher. On June 7, the cumulative number of cases in the county was 385 and the number of new daily cases had been fluctuating. There were 24 new cases on June 2, 14 new cases on June 4 and zero new cases on June 7. By June 21, the cumulative count of cases in Hays County was 1,608, with 57 new cases reported that day. Looking at the 14-day average of new cases, it was 8 on June 7 and 87 on June 21. But the 7-day average is a more commonly used measurement by government agencies and news outlets to assess changes in the number of new cases in the area. The change in that figure during this period is substantially higher. Using weekly averages instead of daily tallies offers a more accurate picture of change over time, as it reduces the impact of daily spikes. From June 7 to June 21, Hays County experienced a roughly 1,569% increase in the 7-day average of new COVID-19 cases from 8 cases on June 7 to 134 on June 21. Our ruling Doggett said that Hays County had experienced ""an incredible 845% increase in cases since June 7."" Doggett was actually speaking about an increase in the 14-day average of new COVID-19 cases a less common measurement of the increase in COVID-19 cases in an area but his figure is accurate."

Answer: Hays County in Central Texas has seen an "incredible 845% increase in (COVID-19) cases since June 7."

Question: As the world mobilizes to battle the virus, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan have been relatively successful in curbing the spread so far. But a surge in imported cases in recent days has raised alarm that those efforts could rapidly unravel. "In many countries the number of confirmed cases can be described as explosive," Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam told a press briefing on Tuesday. "If we don't adopt some strict measures...I'm afraid all precaution efforts done in the past two months would be wasted." The latest tally from mainland China, the original epicenter of the coronavirus, showed 21 new confirmed cases on Monday, of which 20 involved infected travelers arriving from abroad, mostly Chinese nationals. Hong Kong said most of the recent confirmed cases in the past two weeks were imported. In Taiwan, 24 new cases up to Tuesday were all imported, while South Korea had 44 new infections involving infected travelers as of Sunday. Singapore confirmed 17 new infections on Monday, its biggest daily jump in cases, with 11 of those imported. The rush to flee virus hotspots in Europe and the United States has pushed up the price of flights. A ticket from London to Hong Kong was going for up to HK$50,000 on Monday night as people tried to get to the city before it imposed tougher restrictions. "It is safer home than in Britain as the policy to contain the outbreak under Boris Johnson is doubtful," said Ling, a Cambridge University student after landing in Hong Kong wearing a surgical mask and rubber gloves. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Britain rose to 1,543, up from 1,372 the day before, the health ministry said on Monday. The British death toll rose to 55. Four of Hong Kong's 157 confirmed coronavirus patients have died, while more than 3,200 people have died from the disease in mainland China, the highest number of fatalities. Measures in China, Hong Kong and Singapore, include city-wide lockdowns, border tightening, contact tracing efforts and strict social distancing. The virus has already taken a heavy economic toll, especially in mainland China and global financial hub Hong Kong, so any rise in new cases could be devastating. Hong Kong on Tuesday toughened measures on travelers, requiring 14 days of quarantine for those entering the city as of midnight on Thursday, and joined Singapore in advising against all non-essential travel. China said all inbound, non-transit travelers to Beijing need to be isolated for 14 days at designated quarantine venues, mostly hotels in the city. Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, on Tuesday banned the entry of all non-residents, a move likely to have a significant impact on the already struggling casino industry. How seriously authorities in Asia take the virus battle has been underscored by punishments meted out or threatened to those who violate quarantine rules or give false information about their whereabouts or travel history. Taiwan said those who do not follow home isolation or quarantine rules could be fined between T$100,000 and T$1 million (US$ 3,300- US$33,000), and has advised people not to travel abroad at all. "We held firm to block the first wave of infection, but a new wave is coming, so everyone should cooperate with disease prevention efforts," Taiwanese Health Minister Chen Shih-chung told a news conference on Monday. While the imported infections in mainland China are still modest in number - 143 cases so far - authorities are concerned that virus carriers could trigger a second wave. The first imported case was reported in late February in the northwestern Ningxia region involving a traveler flying in from Iran. More cases quickly arrived from Iran, a hotspot with nearly 15,000 infections so far, followed by the first infected travelers from Italy in the first week of March. Soon, the infected were spotted on flights from countries including Spain, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand entered the list this week.

Answer: Asia prepares for coronavirus boomerang wave as residents return home.

Question: Maryland lawmakers, state officials and union members gathered in Annapolis to address the shortage during a joint hearing before the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. Hogan Administration officials said during the hearing that they are aware of the safety concerns and are working to address them, along with the shortage. Jason Kramer, policy analyst with Legislative Services, said during the hearing that the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services alone had a need for more than 1,000 employees, while agencies like the Department of Juvenile Services and Department of Health were short more than 200 positions each, according to the study. Delegate Marc Korman, D-Montgomery, noted during the hearing that recent safety incidents "triggered" the meeting Tuesday morning, which also included testimony from members of Maryland's American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees a public employee trade union. The members, donning green union shirts, filled the seats in the hearing room. In a news conference held shortly before the hearing, Patrick Moran the president of the union spoke of what he described as "systematic underfunding and delays" in filling vacancies. He said the union is demanding "immediate action," but also noted that the members present in Annapolis had "no confidence" in Gov. Larry Hogan as an employer. Mike Ricci, a spokesman for Hogan, said in a written statement that once the union, "agrees to the ground rules that require them to bargain in good faith rules that other unions have agreed to year after year our administration is ready and willing to move forward with negotiations." Delegate Shelly Hettleman, D-Baltimore County, attended the news conference and said that state employees are "underpaid and overworked," and the staffing shortages are "putting people in danger." Jeremy Jeffers, a resident adviser with the Department of Juvenile Services, testified during the hearing and said he has personally dealt with the "dangers" of understaffing, noting that he has been assaulted "multiple times," suffered six concussions and even lost part of his finger during an incident. "I would challenge anyone to come and spend a shift," Jeffers said. Ikeia Cornish, a direct care assistant at Eastern Shore Hospital Center, also testified and said one of her coworkers was "blindsided" and beaten by one of the patients. She referred to staffing shortages as a "crisis," which leads to "more staff and patient injuries" and an "unsecure environment" Representatives from the Hogan Administration also testified during the hearing and addressed what is being done to alleviate the staffing problem. David Brinkley, secretary of the Department of Budget and Management, said the administration takes the staffing shortage issue "very seriously" and is focused on "hard-to-fill" positions like correctional officers. Nick Pepersack, Brinkley's deputy chief of staff, later confirmed to Capital News Service that those employees received a nearly 10% salary increase between January and July of this year. Total salary enhancements in the last and current fiscal years, Pepersack said, amounted to approximately $467 million for employees statewide. Robert Neall, secretary of the Department of Health, said there is now an "increase in emphasis" on reporting all incidents at state hospitals and he looks "forward to reporting more progress" in January. Delegate Kirill Reznik, D-Montgomery, addressed Neall during the hearing and said while he has "no doubt" that the secretary is trying, "we have been here before." "Ever year we hear, 'these are all the things we are doing' . and every year, we come back here," Reznik said. Pressed by Reznik on where the department will be in terms of vacancies next year, Neall repeated that he expects "significant" progress, but could not answer the question "with specificity." Sen. Andrew Serafini, R-Washington, told Capital News Service after the hearing that with regard to the safety incidents, "we have a more violent community in general." "It's not that we don't care" about state employees, Serafini said, adding that the characterization to the contrary is "problematic." ___ This story was produced by the University of Maryland's Capital News Service.

Answer:
MD lawmakers, officials, union meet on staffing shortages.