EL PASO, Texas – Driven by the rapid spread of the coronavirus among those under 40, El Paso public health leaders on Sunday reported a pandemic record of 441 new cases.
After a week that saw 29 deaths, the start of the new week brought no additional deaths. The death toll remained at 179.
With Sunday’s huge increase in new cases, the total number of infections to date in El Paso County increased to 11,573. Pasoans in their teens, 20s, and 30s accounted for 61% of new cases in the last day, compared to just 14% for those in the high-risk age group of people over 60.
“Based on the data we’ve seen so far, we continue to see an increase in Covid-19 cases in our younger demographics,” said Dr. Héctor Ocaranza, El Paso County / City Health Authority, who added that community spread was the most important factor.
El Paso’s chief physician said youth in the area “need to understand the risks of not practicing safety precautions,” and urged those in their 20s and 30s to “limit interactions” to combat transmission of the virus.
“We must continue to stress everyone, especially the younger members of our family, so that they do not let their guard down,” said Ocaranza.
As the debate continues about whether to allow students to return to school classrooms after the issuance of new state educational guidelines in recent days, it was notable that school-age children, adolescents, and minors account for 15% of El Paso’s emerging cases, according to Sunday’s public health data.
Another disturbing trend emerging is the continued increase in the percentage of those who test positive.
The 7-day moving average positivity rate on Sunday was 11.78%. The percentage of those who tested positive has grown in recent days from 9.87% on Friday and 10.25% on Saturday. So far, authorities have said 128,206 tests have been conducted in El Paso.
Hospitalization numbers on Sunday showed a decrease from Saturday. There are currently 274 patients with Covid-19 in El Paso hospitals, of whom 104 are in intensive care and 40 need ventilators, twice as many as the day before.
Health leaders noted that the death rate from viruses in El Paso is currently 1.5% and the recovery rate is 64%, although it is important to understand that researchers indicate that some recovered people may have health problems at long term derived from the contraction of the virus.
Full details of the virus from the health department can be found by clicking here.
