Fewer people tested positive for COVID-19 in Hidalgo County when compared to last week, with officials reporting a total of 763 cases this week.
County officials reported 181 cases at the start of the week, 132 on Tuesday, 214 on Wednesday, followed by 138 on Thursday, and then 98 cases on Friday — the lowest of the week.
In comparison, there were a total of 1,128 positive cases last week in addition to six COVID-related deaths, two of which were unvaccinated.
While there were no COVID-related deaths reported Friday, the same amount of deaths were reported this week, except more unvaccinated people died.
In contrast to last week’s two unvaccinated COVID deaths, this week there were five unvaccinated deaths.
Of the 98 cases reported by the Hidalgo County Health and Human Services Department on Friday, 48 were confirmed, 49 probable and one suspected.
Children 11 or younger led the majority of cases reported Friday with 25 cases. The next age group were young adults in their 20s with 22 cases, followed by people younger than 19 but older than 12 with 15 cases.
Of the 763 people who tested positive for COVID-19 this week, 300 were confirmed, 397 probable and 66 were suspected. Hidalgo County does not include in its COVID statistics whether people who test positive for the virus are vaccinated.
The county also continues to track cases in schools. On Friday, county officials reported two staff members and 16 more students tested positive. A total of 4,425 students and 850 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 18, when the county began tracking those figures.
Hospitalizations continued to fluctuate this week, with health officials reporting 68 people were in Hidalgo County hospitals as of Friday. The majority were adults, with the exception of five children. Moreover, 22 patients were in intensive care units; all adult patients with the exception of one child.
Hidalgo County also reported the Texas Division of Emergency Management has administered monoclonal antibody infusion treatments to 2,781 people at the Regional Infusion Center, which opened at DHR Health in Edinburg Aug. 27.
The county’s case tally is 121,875, of which 70,397 were confirmed, 48,297 probable and 3,181 suspected.
There are currently 954 active cases reported.
The county also reported 95 people were released from isolation Friday, raising that total to 117,407.
As of Friday, a total of 734,270 COVID-19 tests had been administered in Hidalgo County, with 611,592 returning negative results.
Hidalgo County uses the case status definitions provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services’ 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.
In Cameron County, there were a total of 110 people test positive for the coronavirus this week, in addition to six unvaccinated COVID-related deaths, according to health officials.
A Harlingen man in his 70s was the only COVID death reported Friday in Cameron County, increasing its COVID death toll to 2,023.
In contrast, the county reported seven people died of COVID-19 for the week of Dec. 6, in addition to 102 people testing positive for the virus. Of the seven COVID deaths reported then, all were unvaccinated with the exception of one person.
For this week, officials reported a total of 110 people tested positive for the virus, with 15 of those cases reported on Friday. None of the cases reported Friday were from facilities housing unaccompanied minors and detention centers.
As of Friday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Cameron County was 54,270.
Additionally, the county also reported 20 people recovered from the virus on Friday, increasing that total to 51,191
As for Cameron County’s vaccination efforts, officials have increased their 12 and older population range to 5 and older. As of Friday, 77.41% of their 5 and older population are fully vaccinated, with 93.28% receiving at least one dose.
The county also reported that 88.56% of their 65 and older population are fully vaccinated, with 99.99% receiving at least one dose.
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