COVID-19 hospitalizations across the Rio Grande Valley are continuing their upward trend with the majority of the region now being at an increased risk of spread according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With COVID hospitalizations continuing to tick up, there were a total of 81 patients throughout the Valley as of Friday.
At the start of the week, the total number of COVID patients was only slightly lower at 80 but it fluctuated as the week went on. On Tuesday, there were 76 COVID hospitalizations which climbed to 79 on Wednesday and then climbed again on Friday to 81, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, or DSHS.
Those 81 patients included 63 adult patients, 13 adults in intensive care units, and five pediatric patients.
The climb to 81 patients is also a 14% increase from the 71 patients reported a week ago and a 68% increase from two weeks ago when there were 48 people hospitalized due to COVID.
Just last month, COVID hospitalizations had reached a low of 26 total patients which was the lowest COVID hospitalizations had been in the Valley since May 2020, before the first big COVID wave.
Since that low a month ago, on May 17, cases have climbed by more than 211%.
With the upward trend, the majority of the Valley including Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties are now at a medium community level, according to the CDC. Starr County remains at a low community level.
Community levels are designated to counties by the CDC depending on each county’s risk of spreading COVID-19. The community level for each county is determined by hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in the area.
Looking just at Hidalgo County, there were 50 COVID hospitalizations here, including 46 adults and four pediatric patients as of Thursday. The 50 patients also included six adults in the ICU.
This week, the county reported three COVID-related deaths among their residents and two of those individuals had not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
There were also 1,620 new cases including 1,021 confirmed cases and 599 probable cases. To date, Hidalgo County has reported a total of 206,407 cases which include a total of 132,400 confirmed cases, 70,848 probable cases, and 3,159 suspected cases.
Cameron County health officials reported one COVID-related death and, to date, has a total of 2,249 recorded deaths due to COVID.
In Cameron County, there were 1,306 new cases which included 655 confirmed cases, 628 probable cases, and 23 self-reported cases from at-home tests.
In Starr County, there were 47 new confirmed cases and 67 probable cases this week while Willacy County reported 25 new cases and 29 probable cases, according to DSHS data.
Neither of the two counties reported any COVID-related deaths this week.
