Hidalgo County reported Thursday another 520 people tested positive for COVID-19 and eight others died from the virus.
Still, hospitalizations appear to have decreased.
On Tuesday, the county reported there were 469 hospitalizations. That number neared 500 the following day. But on Thursday, the county reported 462 people were hospitalized – 45 of them were pediatric patients and 417 were adults.
Of the patients hospitalized, 119 were being treated in intensive care units. Six of them were pediatric patients and 113 were adults.
Hospitalizations have not gone below 455 this week — the number Hidalgo County reported on Monday.
Since the beginning of the week, the county has reported 30 deaths.
On Thursday, the youngest among the deaths was an Edinburg man in his 30s. He was followed by a Donna woman in her 40s, an Edinburg man and a Mission woman, both in their 60s, and four people ages 70 or older, including an Edinburg man and woman, a Pharr woman and a San Juan woman.
Hidalgo County’s COVID-19 death toll is now at 3,023.
While hospitalizations appear to have slightly dropped, Hidalgo County reported another 520 people tested positive for the coronavirus Thursday. Cases appeared to be decreasing Wednesday, as the county reported 412 then. In contrast, Hidalgo County reported 521 cases on Tuesday and 483 on Monday.
Of the 520 cases reported by the Hidalgo County Health and Human Services Department Thursday, 139 were confirmed, 381 probable and none were suspected.
The majority of cases reported Thursday were led by children between the ages 0-11, with a total of 116 cases. Youth younger than 19 but older than 12 were the next age group, with 89 cases. Young adults in their 20s trailed behind with 73 cases.
Hidalgo County does not include in their COVID statistics whether people who test positive for the virus are vaccinated. However, the county has begun to include in their daily report when students and school staff test positive for the virus.
On Thursday, Hidalgo County reported 93 of the positive cases were students and seven were school staff.
The county’s case tally is 105,205, of which 65,013 were confirmed, 37,921 probable and 2,271 suspected, with 3,946 cases reported active.
Additionally, the county reported 382 people were released from isolation Thursday, raising that total to 98,236.
As of Thursday, a total of 595,978 COVID-19 tests had been administered in Hidalgo County, with 489,964 results returning negative.
In Cameron County, officials reported a total of 270 positive COVID-19 cases Thursday and four deaths related to the virus, according to a county news release.
The youngest among the deaths reported Thursday was a Harlingen woman in her 30s. Others included a San Benito man in his 70s, a Rio Hondo woman in her 80s and a Harlingen woman in her 90s or older.
Cameron County’s COVID-19 death toll is now at 1,746.
Of the 270 cases reported Thursday, Cameron County officials noted 53 were from facilities housing unaccompanied minors, such as shelters and detention centers.
The majority of cases reported from facilities were all from youth younger than 19 but older than 10, except for the 14 — which were all children younger than nine.
The remaining 217 cases reported in Cameron County outside the facilities were led by adults in their 30s, with 45 cases. Adults in their 40s were the next age group with 35 cases, followed by youth younger than 19 but older than 10, with 31 cases.
As of Thursday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Cameron County is 47,731.
Additionally, the county also reported 295 individuals recovered from the virus on Thursday, increasing that total to 43,235.
As for Cameron County’s vaccination efforts, officials said 71.60 percent of their 12 and older population are fully vaccinated, with 86.78 percent receiving at least one dose.
The county also reported that 82.91 percent of their 65 and older population are fully vaccinated, with 91.49 percent receiving at least one dose.
MORE INFORMATION:
Hidalgo County uses the case status definitions provided by the Texas Department of State Health Service’s 2020 Epi Case Criteria Guide:
>> Confirmed cases are those who tested positive through a molecular or PCR (oral or nasal swabs) test that looks for the presence of the virus’s genetic material
>> Probable cases are those who meet presumptive laboratory evidence through detection of COVID-19 by antigen test in a respiratory specimen
>> Suspect cases are those who meet supported laboratory evidence through detection of specific antibodies in serum, plasma, whole body and no prior history of being confirmed or probable case
