COVID-19 Update: City Reports Three Deaths, Amends Directives and Expands Testing

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 2

NEWS

RELEASE
COVID-19 Update
04 / 30 / 2020 City Reports Three Deaths,
Amends Directives and Expands Testing
EL PASO, Texas — The City of El Paso Public Health Department is reporting three (3) additional
COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths to 21. The patients include a male in his 50s, a
female in her 70s and a female in her 80s, all of who had underlying health conditions.
El Paso is also reporting 37 new COVID-19 cases bringing the county’s total number to 924. To-date
397 people have recovered from COVID-19; consequently, there are 506 active cases within the
county. Positive cases in El Paso County include 486 females and 438 males; see accompanying
graphics and map. There are now 53 patients who are hospitalized, and 31 of those hospitalized are
currently in ICU.
“We are disappointed to report another three deaths due to COVID-19, and our hearts go out to their
families. The deaths we have seen are mostly made up of the most vulnerable and there is a strong
correlation between the Easter break and the spike in positive cases,” said Dr. Hector Ocaranza,
City/County Health Authority. “Mother’s Day is just around the corner. We want to remind everyone that
gatherings with anyone who is not in your immediate household means that you are placing your loved
ones—your mothers and grandmothers—at risk of contracting the virus. We need everyone to please
take this serious and take care of each other.”

EMERGENCY DIRECTIVE AMENDED: Face Coverings Required, Gatherings Prohibited


Due in large part to the ongoing upward trend in positive cases, Mayor Dee Margo, County Judge
Ricardo Samaniego and City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza are amending the current
Local Emergency Directive to make face coverings mandatory and prohibit all public and private social
gatherings of any number of people occurring outside or inside a single household or dwelling unit.
The updated Directive once completed will be made available at www.epstrong.org under “Health
Orders.”
All individuals over the age of two (2), are required to wear some form of face covering over their nose
and mouth, while outside of their home or residence. A face covering may include cloth masks such as
bandanas, scarves and neck gaiters that fit snugly but comfortable against the face secured with ties or
ear loops.
Parents and guardians of children over the age of two (2) and under the age of ten (10) shall be
responsible for appropriately masking children when outside their residence.
A face covering is not required on anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated, or
exercising outdoors and not within 6 feet of any other individual not from the same household.
—more—
Wearing a face covering is not a substitute for maintaining 6-feet social distancing and hand-washing,
as these remain important steps to slowing the spread of the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises the use of simple cloth face coverings
can slow the spread of the virus by helping people, who may have the virus and do not know it, from
transmitting it to others. (See: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-
coverings.html)
It is also recommended that the face coverings be cleaned daily. Individuals should be careful not to
touch their eyes, nose and mouth when removing their face covering and wash their hands immediately
after removing the covering.

TESTING EXPANDED: Locations Added to Region’s Rural Communities


The Office of Emergency Management has been working with the Texas Department of Emergency
Management to provide additional testing sites for the County’s rural communities. The dates and
locations are as follow:
 May 12
o Fabens: Fabens Fire Station-16001 Socorro Rd., Fabens, TX
o Montana Vista: Montana Vista Fire Station 2, 5411 Paso View Dr., El Paso, TX
 May 13
o San Elizario: San Elizario Fire Station-1415 San Antonio Rd., San Elizario, TX
o Horizon: Horizon First Baptist Church; 12018 Darrington Rd., Horizon, TX
o Vinton: West Valley Fire Department: 510 Vinton Rd, Anthony, TX
Citizens are asked to make an appointment 24 hours prior to the testing date either online at
TXCOVIDTEST.ORG or by calling 512-883-2400. Testing is open to all regardless of location of
residence. The goal is to test 60 individuals per site; however, additional testing may be available
depending on demand and availability.
The time of the testing will be from 9am to 5pm. If residents do not call or register for an appointment,
they can still show up at the site and will be instructed to either register on their phone or call the
number to schedule accordingly.
Residents are encouraged to report non-compliance by calling the police department non-emergency at
(915) 832-4400 or 3-1-1. The 21-COVID hotline is operational from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through
Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For referral to services, contact 2-1-1 and select
option six (6). For more information, visit www.epstrong.org.
###

Media Contact: Soraya Ayub Palacios


Communications and Public Affairs
915.781.4386

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy