Hospitalizations down in RGV as 887 new virus cases recorded

The Rio Grande Valley reported 887 new cases of COVID-19 Monday and 37 additional deaths tied to the virus.

Hidalgo County reported 702 of those cases and 11 of the deaths, although hospitalization rates in the county continue to decline.

The county reported 390 of those cases as confirmed, 307 as probable and five as suspected. This brings the county to a total of 73,425 confirmed cases of which 49,424 are confirmed, 22,931 are probable and 1,070 are suspected.

Hospitalization rates for the virus have fallen to their lowest since just prior to Christmas last year.

Currently, 256 individuals are hospitalized with the virus, 124 of them in intensive care units.

The 11 people who died of the virus were all above 40, most of them in their 60s and 70s. They hailed from Edinburg, Hidalgo, Mercedes, Mission, Pharr and Weslaco.

Fatality rates for people the county reports as COVID-19 positive have also fallen, decreasing from a peak of about 4.4% to around 3.6%.

Cameron County recorded 139 new cases of the virus, raising the total there to 37,041. The county also reported 17 more deaths, bringing its death toll to 1,447.

Starr County recorded nine additional deaths tied to the coronavirus and 40 new cases of COVID-19, 35 reported as confirmed and five as probable.

Willacy County reported six more cases of the virus, five from Saturday and one from Sunday.