“We didn’t even have our first wave yet”: County warns residents as COVID-19 cases increase

Cases
Texas Governor Greg Abbott points to a chart detailing rising COVID-19 cases in the state during a press conference on June 22. COVID-19 cases in the state have increased exponentially since Abbott issued orders to “reopen” the state on May 1.
(Courtesy of the Office of the Governor)

By GAIGE DAVILA
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

Texas continues to see its COVID-19 cases rise, with 12 consecutive days of record-high hospitalizations since June 12. Cameron County’s cases are rising right along with the rest of the state.

Over the weekend, Cameron County Public Health confirmed 175 cases of COVID-19, with the county’s daily case rate rising. Then, on Monday night, June 22, Cameron County confirmed 101 cases of COVID-19. On Tuesday, Cameron County confirmed 111 COVID-19 cases.

In total, Cameron County has 1,881 COVID-19 cases, with 1,133 people recovering from the disease. Fifty-two Cameron County residents have died from COVID-19, as of this article’s writing, one of the latest being a 21-year-old from Indian Lake. Also from Indian Lake, the youngest person to contract COVID-19 is a newborn, testing positive at six days old.

The Rio Grande Valley has 280 people of the 4,092 hospitalized for COVID-19 in Texas, according to data from Texas Department of State Health Services.

This past Saturday, the state confirmed 4,430 COVID-19 cases, then the highest yet, as reported by the Texas Tribune. But by Tuesday, June 23, the state confirmed 5,489 cases of COVID-19, once again breaking its single-day record.

During a press conference on June 22, Cameron County Health Authority Dr. James Castillo gave a sobering remark on the rising cases.

“Since the (state’s) reopening, the science is telling us it’s not over,” Castillo said. “We didn’t even have our first wave yet. The wave is coming now. That was a warning.”

Castillo said testing has increased throughout the state, with around 6 percent of tests returning positive.

But in Cameron County, 30 to 50 percent of the tests taken at various testing sites are returning positive.

“What’s really growing is the community cases, and most of them are in people under 40,” Castillo said. “We were hoping not to see this. Not every state has seen it, not every county has seen it, but we are seeing it.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott during a press conference on June 22, said COVID-19 cases were spreading at an “unacceptable rate.”

Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length. To read the full story, click here or make sure to grab a copy of the June 26-July 2, 2020 issue of the NEWS.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2020/06/26/we-didnt-even-have-our-first-wave-yet-county-warns-residents-as-covid-19-cases-increase/

1 comment

1 ping

    • Truth Hurts on June 28, 2020 at 5:56 pm
    • Reply

    And you mofo government local and natl..leaders ..still want to reopen everything.
    Close everything down. .. don’t reopen schools .( Those people still get paid)…unlike other people that have to go out clock in and out to get paid) to pay bills.
    … Limit grocery store, doctor visits.. make restaurants Drive thru Only..
    All utilities (water gas light ) should be waived also .. especially for people that don’t have the luxury to stay home. . that have to go out and work.
    Stop the spread ..if you really have to go out.. put the mofo masks on..damn people.. especially those that are treating the virus like it’s nothing .
    I have to go out and work to pay my damn bills..
    I’m not sending my kids back to school..
    I will enroll them in at a school where they offer 100% online courses.

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