COVID-19 hospitalizations across the Rio Grande Valley remained relatively high this week after experiencing a climb that began in November.
A total of 108 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 throughout the Valley as of Tuesday, according to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, or DSHS.
The current number of patients — 87 adults, with an additional 19 adults in intensive care units, and two children — is slightly down from the day before when there were 113 patients, but is still reflective of the jump in COVID-19 hospitalizations seen over the last month.
At the beginning of December, there were a total of 48 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the entire Valley. The increase from that to the current number is a 125% jump.
In Hidalgo County, there were 79 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 as of Tuesday. Those patients included 75 adults and four children. Of the adults, 15 were in the ICU.
The 79 number of patients is a more than 192% increase compared to the beginning of the month when there were 27 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Hidalgo County. Those patients included 25 adults and two children.
Additional deaths due to COVID-19 were also reported this week.
Two more Hidalgo County residents died due to complications related to COVID-19, the county reported.
The two deceased individuals — a Mercedes woman in her 60s and a Mission woman over 70 — were not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations.
Their deaths raised the county’s total number of COVID-19 deaths to 4,052. Of those, 521 people died in 2022 while the majority of the COVID-19 deaths occurred earlier in the pandemic.
A total of 1,323 Hidalgo County residents died due to COVID-19 in 2021 while 2,208 residents died in 2020.
Reports of their deaths come as Hidalgo County also reported 1,045 new cases this week which include 503 confirmed and 542 probable cases.
There have been a total of 127,026 cases reported this year and 257,531 cases reported since the start of the pandemic in Hidalgo County.
Cameron County reported one death among their residents this week. The individual was fully vaccinated though no further details were provided.
The county has now had a total of 2,316 residents die from COVID-19.
There were also 963 new cases this week in Cameron County, including 343 confirmed and 620 probable cases. Since the start of the pandemic, the county has reported a total of 131,834 cases.
Another COVID-related death was reported in Starr County on Dec. 24, raising their total number of COVID-19 fatalities to 382, according to DSHS data.
The most recent COVID-related death in Willacy County was reported on Dec. 16. Their total number of deaths is now at 137.
