County COVID-19 situation worsens

By Gaige Davila
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

Hundreds of people are hospitalized inside the Valley Baptist Health System with COVID-19, tens of which are on ventilators, in what Chief Executive Officer Leslie Bingham says has been a “surge response” inside the hospitals. 

Healthcare workers responding to COVID-19 patients in Cameron County hospitals are “exhausted,” according to Bingham. 

“The demand that is on everyone is incredible at this point,” Bingham said during a press conference held by Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr. “They all continue to show up and give it their all, but they are exhausted: physically, mentally and emotionally.” 

Treviño said the state has sent “over 700” doctors and nurses to respond to COVID-19 cases in Cameron County. Treviño also said he is requesting more help from the state and federal government for funding for field hospitals and “alternative sites” for COVID-19 patients. 

As of press time, there are 3,120 cases of COVID-19 in Cameron County, 2,285 of which have recovered. Seventy-one Cameron County residents have died from COVID-19. 

Cameron County has a 7.82 percent positive rate of COVID-19 as of July 6, according to Treviño, saying it’s lower than other places in the state, but that the positive rate is higher than it was in April and May. 

Bingham said the rate of mortality within the Valley Baptist Health System, 3.8 percent, has doubled since June of last year, 1.7 percent, accounting for the rising number of deaths from COVID-19. Without deaths from COVID-19 patients, the mortality rate for Valley Baptist Health System is around 1.3 percent, Bingham said. 

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.portisabelsouthpadre.com/2020/07/10/county-covid-19-situation-worsens/

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