Valley reports 29 more COVID-19 related deaths

At least 29 more Rio Grande Valley residents died due to complications related to COVID-19, county officials reported Friday.

Hidalgo County officials reported 19 more people died from the disease while another 191 people tested positive for it.

With the additional deaths, the total number of COVID-19 fatalities is now at 1,630, according to a news release issued by the county Friday.

“The numbers continue to go in the right direction, but I will not be happy until the fatality rate from this terrible disease drops to zero,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez stated in the release. “I send my condolences to the family, friends and neighbors of those who died.”

The county now has 31,562 total confirmed cases and reports that 2,173 are currently active.

At hospitals within the county, 180 individuals with COVID-19 are currently admitted, while 77 of those patients are being treated in an intensive care unit.

In Cameron County, health officials reported 10 more coronavirus-related deaths including a man between 50 and 59 years old, five men and one woman between 60 and 69 years old, and two men and one woman between 70 and 79.

Their total number of COVID-related deaths is now at 913.

Cameron County health officials also reported an additional 65 confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing their total to 22,698 and their active cases to 2,819.

Starr County reported it had 12 new cases on Thursday for a total of 627 active cases.

Willacy County reported two new cases of COVID-19 — a man and a woman between 40 and 49 years old. They now have had a total of 1,178 confirmed cases.