COVID-19 hospitalizations throughout the Rio Grande Valley have been trending up in recent weeks, increasing by more than a quarter in one week.
As of Tuesday, there were 70 people hospitalized due to COVID in the Valley, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services. The patients included 51 adults, 16 of whom were in intensive care units, and three pediatric patients.
The 70 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was a 29% increase from the 54 patients reported a week prior and a nearly 67% increase compared to two weeks prior.
In Hidalgo County, alone, there were 44 COVID hospitalizations reported on Tuesday but that went up to 54 patients by Friday.
The 54 patients included 48 adults and six pediatric patients. Ten of the adults were in intensive care units.
Also in Hidalgo County, three more residents died due to COVID-related complications, the county reported this week.
The deceased included a Donna woman in her 50s, and McAllen man in his 60s and a Weslaco man in his 60s. One of them was not vaccinated while the other two individuals were not up to date with their COVID vaccinations.
Their deaths raise the county’s total number of people who have died to COVID-19 to 4,050.
This week, Hidalgo County also reported 1,117 new cases including 453 confirmed and 664 probable cases.
The largest age group was 19 and under with 310 cases among them this week.
The reported new cases of COVID in Hidalgo County is an increase from the total number of cases reported the previous week.
Hidalgo County reported 844 new cases last week including 331 confirmed and 513 probable cases.
Those 19 and under were also the largest age group during this period with 249 cases among them.
In Cameron County, there were 644 new cases this week including 250 confirmed cases, 385 probable cases, and nine self-reported cases.
This also marked an increase in cases for Cameron County compared to last week.
Cameron County health officials reported 474 cases last week including 136 confirmed cases, 276 probable cases, and two self-reported cases.
Last week, they reported a La Feria woman in her 60s died due to COVID, raising the county’s total number of COVID-related deaths to 2,314.