Continuing a recent trend of high-volume positives being reported, Cameron County confirmed 57 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, county Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. announced Saturday night in a news release, bringing the total there to 1,138.
The newly reported cases come from Brownsville, Combes, Harlingen, Los Fresnos, Olmito, Port Isabel, Rancho Viejo, San Benito and Santa Rosa. Their ages range from an eight-month-old boy to a 73-year-old woman.
The majority of the cases were transmitted from community spread, with the exception of 28. Twenty-four cases were linked to a previous case and the remaining four were travel related.
In addition, 16 individuals were reported to have recovered, bringing the county’s total recovered to 760.
Cameron County Public Health continues working with three nursing home facilities in addressing the outbreaks.
Veranda Nursing Home has had 11 fatalities related to the virus included in the 34 employees and 63 residents who tested positive.
The Windsor Atrium reported 39 employees and 61 residents tested positive for COVID-19, including 11 previously reported deaths.
With no reported deaths, Spanish Meadows in Brownsville only reported six employees and 11 residents who tested positive for the virus.
In Willacy County, two men in their 20s were the latest reported cases of COVID-19 there, bringing the county’s total to 56 on Saturday.
According to a county news release, the two men are currently isolated. The Department of State Health Services is aiding Willacy County in identifying any close contacts of the patients so they could be instructed to isolate, in addition to being monitored for symptoms.
The new cases come in an upward trend following Texas’ reopening that began in May. While thousands of hospital beds remain available, officials are voicing concern.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Starr County also confirmed another 18 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, involving 11 women and seven men, according to Dr. Jose Vazquez, the county’s health authority.
Not all ages of the patients were made available; however, of the women whose ages were available, they range from 8 to 46 years old. Of the men, they ranged in age from 33 to 60 years old.
The new batch of cases are the second-highest reported in Starr County in a single day, following a report of 23 new cases in a day earlier this week.
The county now has a total of 114 cases of which 79 are active.
In Texas, there were 2,331 new cases and 18 deaths reported on Saturday in addition to another record number of people with COVID-19 hospitalized — 2,242 compared to 2,166 on Friday. This for the second consecutive day, and before factoring tallies from Rio Grande Valley counties.
