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Hidalgo County announced it will scale back its COVID-19 emergency operational level due to the slowing rate of cases and deaths attributed to COVID-19 that are reported locally.
The county is shifting its emergency operational level from Level 1, which indicates Maximum Readiness, to Level 2, which indicates Escalated Readiness, the county announced in a news release Monday.
“This does not mean the threat of this terrible disease has gone away,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez said in the release. “It does mean that, overall, the community has been extremely responsible in taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves and we can slightly ease up on our diligence.”
The county has a total of five operational levels, with Level 5 signifying normal operations and Level 1 indicating the highest state of emergency. The county was at Level 1 for more than 800 days — ever since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in March 2020.
“I’m afraid COVID will never go away, but it is becoming as manageable as influenza,” Eduardo “Eddie” Olivarez, head of Hidalgo County Health and Human Services, said in the release. “In short, the public must always take precautions around people and be diligent about their hygiene, especially washing their hands.”
The Level 2 operations went into effect immediately and will impact how often the county reports new COVID cases and deaths. The county previously provided a COVID update five times a week, but will now only provide an update on Tuesdays and Fridays.
