Cameron County officials confirmed two more people have died from COVID-19, raising the number of deaths there to 22, according to a news release.
The individuals include an 87-year-old man who died at Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen, and a 90-year-old man who was a resident at the Windsor Atrium nursing home, also in Harlingen.
His is the ninth death in connection with the nursing home, where 32 employees and 54 residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
“We are saddened by the loss of lives that we continue to see as a result of this virus. The loss of a loved one, regardless of age, affects not only those closest to them, but our community as a whole,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said in the release. “We continue to keep their families and friends in our thoughts and prayers.”
County officials also confirmed 11 more cases of the disease, with one being travel related, one community-spread, and the rest linked to previous cases. This raises the total of positive cases in Cameron County to 494.
This brings the total number of positive cases in the county to 377 — of those, 152 are active cases. The new cases include four women and five men from Mercedes, San Juan, Pharr, Weslaco, Alamo and Edinburg. Their ages range from their 20s to 60s.
Also according to the county release, 5,960 tests have been administered, and 15 people are currently hospitalized for the disease.
Effective immediately, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. announced Friday that though it is no longer mandatory to shelter at home or wear face masks in public, he is still strongly urging the community to do so.
“Our efforts have worked and we need to continue this path,” he said in a separate news release. “We are not beyond the risks associated with this virus. Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other.”
