At 134, Valley sees largest spike in COVID-19 cases

Hidalgo County has confirmed that 70 more people tested positive for COVID-19, by far the largest single-day tally here since testing for the coronavirus began.

The 70 new cases brings the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 912.

“What we want to strongly convey to you today is that you don’t need for us to tell you what to do,” county Judge Richard F. Cortez said Thursday during a meeting with county judges of Cameron, Starr and Willacy counties. “You know what to do. You can and should be part of the solution. We don’t need to order restrictions. We simply need you to continue to engage in the practices that we know works: shelter at home; avoid mass gatherings; facial coverings; physical distancing, avoiding travel; and good hygiene.”

The county also announced that there are 406 active cases, and 30 people were released from isolation today.

There are currently 1,657 tests pending. A total of 51 people have been hospitalized with complications from the virus, and eight of those cases are being treated in intensive care units.

In Cameron County, officials on Thursday announced two COVID-19 related deaths, that of a 100-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man from Brownsville. Both were previously confirmed cases.

This raises the number of COVID-19 related deaths in Cameron County to 44

Cameron County also confirmed 41 new cases of COVID-19, raising the total number there to 1,031.

Eighteen individuals in Cameron have recovered from the coronavirus, raising that number to 704.

Starr County confirmed 23 more cases of COVID-19 earlier Thursday, that county’s highest volume of cases reported in a single day.

There are now a total of 94 total cases in the county.

The county currently has 61 active cases of the coronavirus, and 32 have recovered.

One person has died as a result of COVID-19 in Starr County.