El Paso tops 60,000 virus cases, hospitalizations exceed 1,000 & deaths reach 661

EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso surpassed 60,000 total coronavirus cases on Saturday morning, with more than 40% of those infections currently active, while hospitalization rates set another record and the death toll continued to mount.

Health officials said there were 1,020 new cases and 232 delayed positives, for a tally of 1,252 additional cases. The amount of active infections stood at 24,562.

There were four more deaths reported Saturday, bringing the pandemic total to 661. The latest victims were a woman in her 30s, a woman in her 40s, a man in his 50s, and a man in his 90s. There have now been 52 virus-related deaths reported in just the past four days in El Paso.

Hospitalizations reached a new all-time high of 1,064 patients, with 315 of those in intensive care and 169 requiring ventilators. Hospital capacity of Covid-19 patients is around 50%.

Because of local hospitals overflowing, a county order now in effect bans all non-essential businesses and services from operating and imposes a nightly curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. On Friday, a state district court upheld the validity of that order - which is now being enforced by El Paso police in addition to sheriff's deputies and constables.

For a complete look at health department data on Covid-19 in El Paso, visit epstrong.org.