In Nueces County, Texas, where Corpus Christi is located, the number of new coronavirus cases skyrocketed in July after a flattening trend. The virus has infected dozens of babies, and local authorities urge people to wear masks and practice social distancing.
“We currently have 85 babies under the age of one in Nueces County who tested positive for Covid-19,” said Annette Rodriguez, Corpus Christi Nueces County director of public health.
“These babies have not yet reached their first birthday. Please help us stop the spread of this disease.”
Nueces County has the fastest growth in new cases on the seven-day average than any other metropolitan county in the state, “said Peter Zanoni, city manager for Corpus Christi.
“You can see that the trend line is relatively flat through July, and this is where we have had that huge increase in cases, and that is why it has become a major problem for Nueces County,” he said.
Corpus Christi has about 8,100 cases of coronavirus and 82 virus-related deaths, local officials said. Other Texas counties like Cameron and Hidalgo are so dire that health officials are stocking refrigerated trucks to store bodies as the morgues fill up.
In a letter to Governor Greg Abbot, state representatives Sheila Jackson Lee and Joaquín Castro said that local jurisdictions should be given the ability to issue stay-at-home orders to help contain coronavirus cases.
“Texas is now not where it should be related to the fight against Covid-19. Therefore, your office should take immediate steps to rewind efforts to reopen the state quickly; which occurred by ignoring CDC guidelines,” it said. the letter. “We need to provide local authorities to counties and local cities to do what is best for their communities.”
CNN’s Raja Razek contributed to this report.
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