Hidalgo County reported 18 more deaths related to COVID-19 and 539 newly reported positive cases Tuesday morning. While the daily report showed an increase in deaths, however, hospitalizations appear to be steadily declining in the area.
The 18 people who died were from Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, Pharr, San Juan and Weslaco — ranging in age from their 30s to over 70. According to the county, 11 of the 18 people were not vaccinated.
Their deaths raised the county’s COVID-19 death toll to 3,721.
The 539 new cases include 151 confirmed, 385 probable and three suspected cases. The county has had a total of 161,846 positive cases, including 98,037 confirmed, 60,596 probable and 3,213 suspected cases.
The county reported 25 new cases among students and 11 new cases among staff in county schools. There have been a total of 14,498 cases among students and 4,245 among staff since the county began keeping track of COVID activity in schools in August 2021.
As of Tuesday morning, there were 294 people in county hospitals with the virus, including 285 adults and nine children. There were also 80 people in intensive care units, including 74 adults and six children.
Now falling under 300, hospitalizations have decreased in the county from the 400s over two weeks.
According to the county, 472 people were also released from isolation Tuesday, raising that total to 157,529. There are 596 net active cases in the county.
Hidalgo County has administered a total of 852,393 COVID-19 tests, and 689,880 of those tests had negative results.
Cameron County reported one COVID-19 related death and 145 new cases of the virus Tuesday afternoon.
According to a news release, a San Benito woman in her 80s was the county’s only COVID-19 related death. She was reportedly unvaccinated. Her death raised the county’s total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 2,126.
The county’s new cases include 91 confirmed reports based on PCR testing and 54 probable reports based on antigen testing.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 83.57% of the county’s population ages 5 years and older have been fully vaccinated, and 99.99% have received at least one dose. In addition, 89.92% of the population 65 and older in Cameron County have been fully vaccinated, and 99.99% have received at least one dose.
