Hidalgo County reported seven additional COVID-19 related deaths and 448 new cases Monday as the rate of hospitalizations continues to climb both locally and across the state.
As of Monday morning, there were 377 people in county hospitals with the virus, and 114 were in intensive care units. The new data on local hospitalizations continues an upward trend that has prompted schools to delay the semester at one district and test staff at another.
The Associated Press reported Monday that Texas is quickly approaching 13,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 as coronavirus numbers associated with the Christmas holidays continue to surge.
In seven of the past eight days, the state has set new highs for patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
Those from Hidalgo County who died have been identified in a news release as a woman in her 50s from Edinburg, a man in his 50s and a woman over 70 from McAllen; two men over 70 from Mission and a man in his 40s and a woman in her 50s from Pharr.
The seven deaths raise the county’s death toll to 2,208.
Of the 448 new cases, 127 are confirmed and 231 are probable. In total, the county now has 52,110 positive COVID-19 cases, of which 35,906 are confirmed, 15,366 are probable and 838 are suspected.
There were 257 people released from isolation Monday, raising that total to 47,754. There are 2,148 net active cases in the county.
Of the 310,558 COVID-19 tests administered in the county, 257,623 were negative.
ELSEWHERE IN THE VALLEY
Cameron County health officials reported 620 new cases for the period between Friday and Monday, with one Brownsville man in his 60s dying.
The case tally in Cameron is at 30,292, and 25,553 have recovered. The county’s death toll is now at 1,187.
In Willacy County, 10 more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed there on Monday, raising the total to 1,622.
Starr County reported 17 new positive cases of COVID-19 there Sunday.
There are currently 664 active cases of the virus there, and 4,822 people have recovered.
There have been 203 virus-related deaths.
The news also came the same day that Roma Police Chief Jose Garcia died after contracting COVID-19.
