El Paso virus cases jump to 35 as health leaders warn of increased risk of ‘community spread’

EL PASO, Texas – The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in El Paso County grew to 35 on Saturday as health officials reported five more people had tested positive.

In under a week, El Paso's virus cases have more than tripled, according to the county's announced count. When the week started on Monday, there were just ten confirmed infections locally.

Dr. Hector Ocaranza, director of the El Paso City/County Health Authority, said he was not surprised by the increasing number of cases and urged El Pasoans to take precautions against "community spread" of the virus.

“We need the community to understand the urgent need for each of us to do our part and change our behavior in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19," he said. "We should all be rigorously practicing social distancing, stay at home as ordered and continue to take precautions by washing your hands regularly.”

Of the 35 confirmed cases in El Paso County, 22 of the patients are women while 13 are men. The county total, however, does not include at least a half-dozen confirmed cases at Fort Bliss. Below is a breakdown of the cases by age range that was provided by county health officials.