599 new COVID cases in Hidalgo County as 11 more die

Hidalgo County reported 11 additional COVID-19 related deaths and 599 positive cases Wednesday morning.

According to a news release from the county, 10 of the 11 who died were not vaccinated. The county’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 3,274 with Wednesday’s reported deaths.

The county’s 599 positive cases include 127 confirmed cases, 469 probable and three suspected cases. These numbers include 240 children below the age of 11, and 164 between the ages of 12 and 19 years.

Wednesday’s new cases include seven among school staff and 36 among students in the county. Since the county began tracking cases in schools Aug. 18, there have been 538 school staff members and 1,708 students who have tested positive for the virus.

With the new cases, the county now has a total of 113,755 positive cases, including 67,539 confirmed, 43,786 probable and 2,430 suspected cases.

The county also reported there were 237 people in county hospitals with COVID-19 related issues, including 214 adults and 23 children. There were 102 people in intensive care units, of which 98 were adults and four were children.

There were an additional 610 people released from isolation, raising that total to 108,326. There are 2,155 net active cases in the county as of Wednesday morning.

Hidalgo County has administered a total of 645,025 COVID-19 tests, and 530,429 of those have been negative.

Cameron County reported four COVID-19 related deaths and 44 additional positive cases Wednesday.

The four deaths include two men in their 40s, a man in his 50s, and a man in his 70s, all Brownsville residents. Their deaths raised the county’s total number of COVID-19 related fatalities to 1,890.

The county’s 44 new cases include eight from unaccompanied minor shelters and detention centers in Brownsville and Los Fresnos. The county has now had a total of 51,631 positive cases.

The county also reported that 29 people recovered from the virus, raising that total to 47,313.

As of Wednesday, 79% of Cameron County’s population ages 12 years and older have been fully vaccinated, and 92.35% have received at least one dose. In addition, 85.13% of the population ages 65 and older have been fully vaccinated, and 93.17% have received at least one dose.