Twelve COVID-19 cases confirmed in PI

By Gaige Davila
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com 

Port Isabel now has 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19. 

Port Isabel’s case increase is in tandem with Cameron County’s, which stands at 1301 cases as of press time. In the past week, Cameron County Public Health Department has been confirming anywhere between 30 to nearly 70 cases of COVID-19 a day.  Port Isabel’s cases represent 0.9 percent of the total cases

During the City of Port Isabel’s commissioner’s meeting on June 16, City Manager Jared Hockema commented on the rising cases. 

“Frankly, that’s the tip of the iceberg,” Hockema said. “We urge everyone who can get tested if you feel you’ve been exposed.”

He continued, “That’s really the only way we can get a handle on this illness is to identify people who may be ill.” 

The City of Port Isabel and the City of South Padre Island, who currently have zero confirmed cases among its residents, have extended their state of disaster declarations.

During the City of South Padre Island’s June 17 city meeting, Mayor Patrick McNulty said that their once-a-week calls among Cameron County’s mayors, hospitals, school districts and Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., have increased to three calls a week.

“This is in direct correlation to the increase in cases that Cameron County is experiencing,” McNulty said. 

McNulty said during the meeting that increased visitation to the Island since Texas’ reopening issued by Governor Greg Abbott have forced the city to rehire furloughed employees. 

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.portisabelsouthpadre.com/2020/06/19/twelve-covid-19-cases-confirmed-in-pi/

7 comments

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    • Virgil Mikes on June 19, 2020 at 4:19 pm
    • Reply

    These are not pandemic numbers. People have had it and didn’t even know it. Stop with the fear mongering !! My niece has it now, scratchy throat and taste/smell issue otherwise she feels great. Again, stop with all of this fear mongering.

    • Faith on June 21, 2020 at 9:47 pm
    • Reply

    The increase in positive test results is directly related to an increase in testing. None of this changes the fact that this coronavirus, Covid19, will be for 99.7% of those who contract it, nothing but a common cold.

    Currently (June 21, 2020) 444 active cases are present in Cameron County according to Texas Health and Human Services. The number of cases cited in this article, 1301, is the total number of cases — past and present, NOT active cases. Actually, the total number of cases today according to the TX HHS is 1454.

    https://txdshs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ed483ecd702b4298ab01e8b9cafc8b83

    We have had a total of 48 deaths in Cameron county reportedly due to covid19 out of a total population of 423,163. That is one one hundredth of one percent. Or 1/100 of 1% of our population. We are talking about an extremely tiny percentage of the population. In other words, please, friends, stop being so afraid.

    And more great news: Zero children in Texas have died of covid19. ZERO CHILDREN. Let me repeat that: NO CHILDREN HAVE DIED OF THE COVID IN TEXAS! That is according to Texas Health and Human Services. So there is absolutely no need to force children to wear masks, breathing in their own exhalations of carbon dioxide instead of the oxygen they were meant to breath!

    Please, friends, neighbors, countrymen — stop the panic. Stop sabotaging our lives, our livelihoods, our children’s education. Look at the percentages. Do the math. There is absolutely no reason for this massive outbreak of hysteria.

    1. Faith,

      We are reporting the numbers of COVID-19 cases in Port Isabel, and the reactions of local governments due to rising cases which, objectively, are not only because we have more testing, but because more people are contracting COVID-19 and being hospitalized. Though the percentage of people who have died is small, those people have families and were loved, just like you or I. We are not engaging in hysteria, we are reporting what is happening in the Laguna Madre area which, for the first time ever, is universally engaged with the world through a mutual problem (COVID-19).

      Please feel free to reach out to me anytime if you would like to discuss further or if you would like to write us Letters to the Editor. I’m always open to talk.

      Gaige Davila
      Editor
      editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

    • Faith on June 22, 2020 at 12:19 pm
    • Reply

    Thanks, Gaige. Don’t worry. My comment was in no way meant as an attack on you or the reporting at PI/SPI Press! It really was meant as an FYI to readers because I wanted them to hear some good news, and because I am concerned about the level of fear I see in the people around me. Thanks for your thoughtful reply.

    • Jude on July 21, 2020 at 1:08 am
    • Reply

    FYI I know that at least 3 men ,in Port Isabel, have died of covid this week , 5 total. These are men that as kids I told jokes, BS with,and argued with. I do know that I*LL never get to say “hey what remember when . We went fishing.. or when we were welding on the shrimpboat ..or when we were at the bar and, or when we were playing marbles or when we broke down on the shrimpboat and you”LL pull us in. Or when we’d go hunting at the palanga.If I wasn’t hurting now I’d be pissed. I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT THEIR FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH.
    MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILY of Danny, Alphonso , Buddy, Miguel ,and Peanut. SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS

    • Jude on July 21, 2020 at 1:13 am
    • Reply

    FYI I know that at least 3 men ,in Port Isabel, have died of covid this week , 5 total. These are men that as kids I told jokes, BS with,and argued with. I do know that I*LL never get to say “hey what remember when . We went fishing.. or when we were welding on the shrimpboat ..or when we were at the bar and, or when we were playing marbles or when we broke down on the shrimpboat and you”LL pull us in. Or when we’d go hunting at the palanga.If I wasn’t hurting now I’d be pissed. I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT THEIR FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH.
    MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE FAMILY of Danny, Alphonso , Buddy, Miguel ,and Peanut. SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.

    Jude

    1. Hi, Jude.

      Can you please email me so we can talk more about your friends in Port Isabel who have passed from COVID-19?
      editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com. Or give me a call at (956) 943-5545 or (956) 372-4776.

      Thank you.

      Gaige Davila
      Editor

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